You Are My Sympathy
by brenliz
Summary: Modern day Jack and Elizabeth. Elizabeth Thatcher is intrigued with Jack Thornton, who moves to Hope Valley, Oklahoma as the new sheriff. From Elizabeth's perspective. "I have found you. You are my sympathy - my better self." -Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre
1. Chapter 1

A/N Just a few things:

1\. I don't own these characters, Hallmark does.

2\. This is the second of two stories I'm working on. My current plan is to alternate which one I update (so my other story [The Greatest of These Is Love] will likely be updated again before I put chapter 2 of this story up). Also, I am a full time graduate student, so I can't promise that I will be able to update either of the stories frequently, but I will try to update them as often as I can.

3\. I have a big chunk of this already written. That being said, I still edit/add to what I have written already before I post, so I welcome any comments or suggestions on things that you guys would like to see in this story.

Now, on with the story...

...

Abigail set my plate on the table in front of me. "Hey, Elizabeth. I brought your usual." I had been coming to Abigail's Café at least once a week ever since I moved to town. Though she was closer in age to my mother than she was to me, we had quickly become good friends.

"Thanks. Hey," I stopped her before she walked away. "What do you know about the new sheriff?" I nodded toward the young man sitting alone across the room, sipping his coffee.

She slid into the booth across from me. "Not much. He's mostly been keeping to himself since he got to town. I do know that his name is Jack Thornton. I also know that he's single." She raised her eyebrows and smiled at me.

I quickly turned to face her, feeling my cheeks turn red. "Abigail!"

She put her hands up. "Hey, you're good looking and single, he's good looking and single. I can dream, can't I?"

I shook my head and laughed. "Don't get your hopes up."

"Okay, okay." She stood up and started to walk away before turning back once more. "Elizabeth, not every relationship you have is going to be like your time with Charles." She was in the kitchen before I had a chance to respond.

I picked at the scone sitting on my plate. I hadn't thought about Charles in months. He and I knew each other when we were young, and we dated for a few months in college. I was so anxious during that time that, years later, I still didn't know how I really felt about him. Part of me genuinely enjoyed spending time with him, and he was so nice to me. But there was another part of me that dreaded his calls. I made excuses as to why I couldn't meet up with him. The stress made me physically ill, and I finally found the courage to end things with him. I felt badly, because he was a good man, but I knew it was the best decision for me.

He was the first and only person I had ever dated. Abigail's words had me thinking about my life since that time. Was that experience the reason why I had felt no desire to meet someone? I always found an excuse for why I wasn't dating, but was I just fooling myself? Was I really just afraid of entering into another anxiety-ridden relationship? I was so lost in thought about my non-existent love life that I didn't recognize when Abigail returned to the seat across from me.

She cleared her throat. "Elizabeth, don't you have to get to work?"

I glanced down at my watch. "Oh my gosh, yes. Thank you, Abigail." I handed her the money for my meal and waved as I left the café.

...

I drove to the school, expecting my mind to be on Charles for the rest of the day, but I kept finding my thoughts drawn to the new sheriff. Jack Thornton; it was nice to finally have a name to put with the face. I had seen him around before that morning—it was a small town, after all—but he was always on the move. He had looked so serious as he ate his breakfast. I wondered what had brought him to Hope Valley.

"Miss Thatcher?" A small voice shook me from my thoughts.

"Yes, Robert?"

"Is it time for recess yet?"

I looked up at the clock and shook my head. "Not yet. Five more minutes."

The students returned to their books, and I pulled a paper from the top of the stack sitting on the desk in front of me and began grading.

The next five minutes passed quickly, and I took the children to recess. I knew I should grade more papers during the lunch break, but I couldn't get my mind off of Jack. Hope Valley was a small town; it was rare for someone new to arrive. I could count on one hand the number of people who had moved to town in the year and a half that I had been living there.

I also had to admit that, despite my reaction to Abigail's suggestion that Jack and I could be a couple, I did find him attractive. There was a part of me that was drawn to him—even though I had never spoken a word to him.

Before I knew it, recess and lunch were over, and I had to pull my thoughts away from Jack Thornton and back to my students.

...

I was so distracted when I pulled into my driveway after work that I almost didn't notice the moving truck parked in front of the house next door. I stayed in my car for a moment, waiting to catch a glimpse of my new neighbor. I eventually gave up and went into my house.

"Bee, I'm home." The speckled dog rushed out to greet me. "Hey, girl. Did you behave today?" She licked my face in response, and I laughed. I opened the back door to let her outside.

I changed out of my work clothes before heating up some leftover pasta for dinner. I glanced out the kitchen window and saw him. My new neighbor was Jack Thornton, the man who had been filling my thoughts all day, even when I tried to push them away. My cheeks grew warm. Abigail was going to have a field day when I told her he was living right next door.

I ate quickly. It was a beautiful evening, and I wanted to take the dog for a walk before it got dark. I grabbed my jacket from the hook by the door and slipped it on. Once I brought the dog inside, I clipped the leash to her collar. I glanced out the window before heading out the door.

The dog trotted in front of me, pulling slightly on her leash. We approached the house next door, and I saw Jack pull a box from the back of the truck.

"Hi."

He jumped at my greeting, unaware that I had approached him. He set the box down beside him. "Hi."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I live next door, so I thought I would introduce myself. I'm Elizabeth Thatcher." I held out my hand.

He shook it and met my eyes. "Jack Thornton."

I lost my train of thought, getting spellbound by his eyes. I couldn't tell if they looked more blue or gold in the light of the setting sun, but they were framed by incredibly long lashes. The dog beside me whined, bringing me back into the moment. "Oh, this is my dog, Bronte."

He looked at me, eyebrows raised. "You named your dog Bronte?"

I shrugged. " _Jane Eyre_ is my favorite book, and Charlotte Bronte is my favorite author." I felt my face grow hot, unsure as to why I was suddenly feeling so self-conscious around him. I had felt so confident when I first approached him.

Bronte touched his hand with her nose, and he reached down to pet her. "I have a dog, too. Rip."

"You question me for naming my dog Bronte, but you named your dog Rip?" I smirked.

"All he does is sleep. The name fits."

I laughed quietly. "Ah, Rip Van Winkle."

He nodded.

I cleared my throat. "Well, um, I should let you get back to unloading. It was nice to officially meet you, Jack."

"You too, Elizabeth. I'll see you around."

I waved as I continued down the street, the dog right on my heels. I could feel Jack's eyes on me as I walked. I took a deep breath and resisted the urge to turn back to look at him again.

...

Rosemary and I sat on her couch, sipping coffee. I had met her at our graduate school orientation shortly after I moved to town. We were both taking counseling classes part-time, and we became fast friends. A few months after I had come to town, she encouraged me to move into the house beside hers.

"So, have you met the new neighbor yet?"

"You mean Jack?"

Rosemary raised her eyebrows. "You're on a first name basis already?"

I rolled my eyes. "I met him once, Rosie. He was outside when I was taking Bee for a walk the other day. I just said hi." I didn't tell her that I had waited to walk Bronte until I knew Jack was outside so I would be certain to run into him. No one needed to know that bit of information.

"But you'll see him again."

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, we're neighbors, so I'm bound to run into him now and then."

Rosie had a mischievous look in her eyes. "But you'd like to see him more than just now and then…"

"Rosemary Coulter!" I gave her a playful slap on the arm.

"What did she do this time?" Rosemary's husband, Lee, stepped into the room.

"I did nothing!"

"She thinks I have a thing for the new sheriff." I looked at her from the corner of my eye.

Lee grabbed a cup of coffee from the kitchen and joined us in the living room. "Jack Thornton?"

"What do you know about him, Lee?"

"Not much. He's from OKC. He's not married. No kids."

"Lee!" Rosemary squealed as if she had a revelation.

We both jumped at her outburst.

"Why don't we invite him over for dinner? And Elizabeth can conveniently be here, too."

"Rosemary, I don't need you meddling in my life."

She smiled. "I meddle because I care. But really, it's not like it will be a real date or anything. He's new to town, so it's the polite thing to do to invite him to dinner. Are you free Sunday evening?"

I thought about making up an excuse as to why I couldn't make it, but I knew that Rosemary would see right through the lie. I sighed. "Yes. What time should I be here?"

She grinned from ear to ear. "Seven."

"Rosie, at least let me come earlier and help you cook." _Then it will feel less like a date._

"Fine. Be here at six. And wear something nice."

"Rosemary. It's not a date. Remember?"

She put her hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay. It's not a date." She followed up her statement with a wink.

I rolled my eyes. "You're incorrigible." I set my mug back on the table and stood up. "Well, I should be getting home. Thanks for the company. Bye, Lee." I waved at both of them before heading to the door.

"See you Sunday for your not-date!"

If I rolled my eyes at her one more time, they just might have fallen out of my head. "Bye, Rosie!" I called out as I shut the door.

...

I lay in bed, unable to sleep for the thoughts swirling in my head. I was going to have dinner with Jack—and Rosemary and Lee. But I was having dinner _with Jack_. I hardly knew him, so it was unlikely that anything would come out of the dinner. Wait. Did I want something to come out of it? I had never felt so drawn to someone before. It was all so confusing. What if he ended up being boring or annoying or…? Surely he wouldn't be that bad. Why did I even care so much?

I sighed and resigned myself to the fact that I would have a sleepless night. After tossing and turning for hours, I eventually gave up on sleep and headed to the kitchen. I pulled ingredients from the pantry, deciding that baking something might clear my mind. By the time the sun was rising outside, there were a few dozen cookies cooling on racks around my kitchen.

Bronte entered the room, waiting for her morning meal.

"Okay, Bee. Eat fast. I need to hurry and hop in the shower. There's somewhere I need to go before school."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N Thank you so much for the kind reviews! I'm glad you guys seem to enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoy writing it.

For clarification and/or to satisfy anyone's curiosity, the fictional town of Hope Valley, OK is located somewhere near Gore, south of Lake Tenkiller (southeast of Tulsa, east of OKC). The population is also similar to Gore's, just under 1000 people.

Anyway, on with the story...

...

I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. I couldn't believe I had talked myself into this. I heard a low bark and the clicking of paws across the floor. Jack opened the door, and my breath caught in my throat. His hair was mussed, as if he had just woken up. I couldn't help but think how nice it would be to see him like that every morning. I pushed the thought from my mind before I could blush and give myself away. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Elizabeth? What are you doing here?"

"Good morning. I was just bringing you a little something to say, 'welcome to the neighborhood.'" I held out the container of cookies.

He took it from me. "Oh. Uh, thank you. You didn't have to do that."

"I know." We both stood in silence for a moment, unsure of what else to say. "Well," I cleared my throat, "I should, um, probably be on my way to work. I'll see you around, Jack."

He smiled. "See you around."

Once again, I felt his eyes on me as I walked away. I felt my cheeks flush at the knowledge that he was watching me, thankful that he couldn't see my face. I began to count down the time until Sunday night dinner, willing the hours to move quickly. _Only three more days_.

...

It seemed that my students had all gotten together and decided to be extra wild that day. I wondered if it was a full moon that had them all acting so out of character.

Every few minutes, I heard a different little voice yelling my name, needing my full attention to help them with some problem or task. Normally well-behaved children were getting out of their seats and talking out of turn. I lost track of how many arguments I broke up.

I had never been so thankful for recess and lunch. After I dropped the students off at the playground, I sat by myself in the classroom, enjoying the peace and quiet. I prayed that the children would run off their energy and be better behaved when they returned.

As I sat without distractions, I found my mind drawn to Jack and the way he looked that morning, with his sleepy hazel eyes and tousled hair.

I couldn't recall the last time someone had so dominated my thoughts—especially someone that I barely knew. I wondered if he had been thinking about me as much as I had been thinking about him. Surely he hadn't; it was a bit ridiculous just how much I had been thinking about him.

Recess had not helped my students as I had hoped it would. It was as if the children had replenished their energy stores when they returned to the classroom for the afternoon. Two children had to be sent to the nurse after they bumped heads. Another two ended the day crying. About what, I don't know—they were unable to calm down enough to explain to me what happened.

I breathed a sigh of relief when the day finally ended. I loved teaching and I loved my students, but some days they wore my patience thin.

The silence of my drive home was a welcome respite after the cacophony of the school day. I trudged through the front door, the combination of my sleepless night and hectic day finally catching up to me. I let Bronte into the backyard and collapsed onto the couch, not even bothering to take off my shoes before I fell asleep.

When I woke, the sun was beginning to set. I found Bronte laying right outside the back door, waiting to be let back inside. I ate a quick dinner and decided to take the dog for a walk before bed.

Despite the lengthy nap I had taken when I got home from work, I was able to fall asleep quickly. My dreams were filled with images of Jack, and I woke in the morning even more impatient for Sunday to arrive. _Only two more days._

...

Sunday evening finally arrived, and I found myself standing in Rosemary's kitchen, helping her prepare the night's meal.

"I can't believe I agreed to this." I pulled the pan of potatoes from the oven, secretly thrilled that I was about to have dinner with Jack. "Wait, Rosie, does he even know that I'll be here?"

Rosemary shrugged and continued chopping the vegetables. "I'm not sure. Lee invited him, so I don't know if he mentioned it. But remember, it's not like it's a date. You have been very adamant about that fact. We're simply welcoming him to the neighborhood. If this dinner happens to pique your interest in each other, then so be it." She winked at me and smiled. If only she knew how much I had been thinking about him over the past week; I'm sure she would give me an earful.

There was a knock at the door. I heard Lee greet Jack and usher him inside. I suddenly grew nervous at the sound of Jack's voice. _It's not a date. Calm down. There's no pressure._ I took a few deep breaths, trying to slow the beating of my heart.

"Need help with anything else?"

She shook her head. "Nope. You can go see him now." She gave me a knowing look.

I rolled my eyes and wiped my hands on a towel before I left the kitchen. I froze when I saw him. He was in dark jeans and a blue plaid button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, his hair combed to the side.

"Elizabeth."

I let out a breath. "Jack."

"You, um, you look great." He took a step toward me. I felt frozen to the spot where I was standing.

I tucked my hair behind my ear and glanced down at the dress that I was wearing, nervously smoothing the skirt. "Thank you. So do you." I cleared my throat. "Uh, dinner should be ready in a few minutes."

I had almost forgotten Lee was there until he spoke. "Great. How about we head out to the deck?"

It was unseasonably warm for February, so Lee led us through the house to the backyard. Rosemary was close behind us, carrying a tray of food.

Jack sat in the seat beside me, far enough to avoid accidentally bumping into me but close enough that I could feel the heat from his body.

"Jack, we're glad you could join us tonight."

"So am I. Thank you for inviting me."

Lee poured wine into the glasses on the table.

"Eat up, everyone." Rosemary started passing plates around.

The dinner was great. Rosemary and Lee kept the conversation light. We learned more about Jack. Mostly I learned that he had a great laugh and that I wanted to spend more time with him. The sun had set by the time Rosemary brought out dessert.

"Mm, this is really good. What is it?" Jack looked up at Rosemary.

"Gooey butter cake. Elizabeth made it."

He turned and met my gaze. "I don't think I've ever had this before. In fact, I don't think I've even heard of it."

"It's a St. Louis specialty. That's where I grew up."

"Well, it seems that I've been missing out."

I smiled shyly. "I'm glad you like it."

"This might be even better than your cookies, and those were delicious."

I saw Rosemary raise her eyebrows, and I shot her a look to keep her from asking any questions.

I followed Rosemary into the kitchen after we had all finished eating, carrying a stack of empty plates.

"Elizabeth, you don't have to help me clean up."

"I want to help, Rosie."

She put her hand on my arm, preventing me from reaching into the sink. "Elizabeth, you are not going to miss this opportunity to walk home with Jack."

"Rosemary…"

"Don't even try to tell me there's not something there. I could see it. Lee could see it. I'm sure any astronauts in space could see it."

I laughed, feeling my face color slightly. "Is it really that obvious?"

"You should go for it, Elizabeth. He seems like a really great guy. Now seriously, get out of here before he leaves without you."

I smiled. "Thank you, Rosie."

I stepped into the living room to find Jack standing by the front door, pulling on his jacket. "Oh, hey. I was just about to head out, but I can wait if you want to walk together."

I coughed to cover up the huge smile that started to form on my face. "Okay. Let me just grab my jacket, and we can head out."

"I had a nice time tonight." Jack walked beside me, keeping his hands in his pockets.

"So did I. I'm glad Rosie planned it."

"I know I already said this, but that dessert was really good. I'm going to have to watch myself with your baking or I'll start fattening up."

I laughed. "Maybe next time I'll just bring fruit for dessert or something."

We were approaching my driveway when he stopped. "Um, speaking of a next time, I was wondering if maybe you'd like to have dinner again? Just the two of us this time?"

I felt butterflies in my stomach and nodded. "I'd like that."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay. I'll let you know the details. So, um, good night, Elizabeth."

"Good night, Jack." I quickly entered my house and got ready for bed. It was a long time before sleep found me, but eventually I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

...

Jack slid into the booth across from me. "Good morning."

I smiled, butterflies filling my stomach. "Good morning."

"So," he seemed a little nervous as he began, "does this Friday work for you? For dinner?"

"Yes."

He smiled, looking relieved. "Okay. I'll pick you up at six. Dress is casual."

"Sounds good."

Abigail came over after he left and refilled my coffee. "What was that all about?"

"Oh, we were just finalizing plans…" I smiled, "for our date."

She took the seat Jack had occupied just moments before. "Okay, I need details. I didn't even know you two had gotten to know each other."

"It all happened so fast." I sighed as I tried to decide where to begin. "He moved in next door to me. Then Rosie and Lee invited him for dinner to welcome him to the neighborhood, and Rosie convinced me to come, too. We ended up having a lot of fun, and he asked me out after he walked me home."

"Elizabeth Thatcher! I can't believe you've been holding out on me!"

"Sorry!" I laughed. "Truthfully, there isn't much to tell you. I like him. That's all." I sipped my coffee. "I promise to call you Saturday and tell you everything."

"You'd better!" She stood up. "I should let you get to work. Don't forget to call me Saturday."

...

Friday evening, Rosemary stood in my bedroom, rifling through my closet. "He said casual, right?"

"Yes. He didn't say where we're going or anything, though."

"A sweater is probably a safe bet." She pulled a light blue sweater from the closet. "How about this one?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I brought you over here so I wouldn't have to make a decision."

She rolled her eyes. "This one is good." She tossed it to me. "With your black jeans."

Twenty minutes later, I was standing in my living room while Rosemary fussed with my hair. "Rosie, he's going to be here any minute. My hair is fine."

"Fine." She took a step back and looked me over, smiling at her handiwork. "Jack's not going to know what hit him."

"Rosemary!" I hit her arm playfully.

"Seriously, Elizabeth. You look great." She gave me a hug. "Okay, I'm going to get home. Let me know how it goes!"

Just a few minutes after Rosemary left, there was a knock at the door.

I took a deep breath. "Wish me luck, Bee." I gave her a pat on the head before I opened the door.


	3. Chapter 3

Jack let out a breath when I stepped out onto the porch. "Hi."

"Hi."

"You look amazing."

I felt his eyes on me, and my cheeks grew warm. "Thank you." _So do you_ , I thought. Even though I didn't say it aloud, he really did look good in his jeans and button-down shirt, his hair neatly combed. I nervously tugged on the sleeve of my sweater.

He held out his arm. "Ready to go?"

I nodded and linked my arm in his. We walked quietly down the driveway and toward his car. He opened the passenger door for me, and I slid into the seat.

"Thank you."

He was quiet on the drive. I appreciated that he didn't feel the need to fill the silence with small talk. We were content just to be near each other for now. After a few minutes, he pulled into the parking lot of Abigail's Café. "I know this isn't fancy, but I figured why not go somewhere we know we'll both feel comfortable?"

"It's perfect, Jack." Truly, I was thankful that he chose somewhere familiar for our first real date.

He kept his hand on the small of my back while we walked to the table in the corner. A candle sat in the center of the table along with two glasses of wine. "I hope it's okay that I talked to Abigail ahead of time and put in an order for us." He pulled out my chair, and I sat down.

"I like that you put so much thought into this." I smiled at him reassuringly. He smiled back, satisfied that things were going well so far.

Abigail brought out two full plates and placed them in front of us. "Enjoy, you two." She gave me a knowing smile and a wink before stepping away, leaving me to enjoy my time alone with Jack.

Jack took a bite of his food. I could tell he was trying to decide how to start the conversation. "The other night you said you grew up in St. Louis?"

"Mhmm." I nodded, taking a bite from my plate. I hardly registered what I was eating, I was already so immersed in the conversation with Jack. "I was born and raised there. I even went to college there."

"So what brought you all the way out here? I'm sure it's a lot different from what you're used to."

I shrugged. "I needed a change of pace, I guess. I'd always liked the idea of living in a small town, so after college, I looked for teaching positions in smaller school districts. When I happened upon a job in Hope Valley, something just felt right. I can't really explain it."

"I understand that."

"So how did you end up here? Lee said you're from the city."

He sighed, trying to figure out where to begin. "I actually grew up in Vancouver. After my dad died, my mom moved me and my brother down here to the city to be close to her family. Then I guess my situation was a lot like yours. I wanted a change of pace. Hope Valley seemed as good a place as any."

"I'm sorry about your dad. How old were you?"

"Twelve."

I reached across the table and touched his hand. "That must've been tough."

He just nodded. It seemed as though he started to close himself off at the mention of his father. I decided not to press him any further.

"So how are you liking it in Hope Valley so far?"

"It's nice." He relaxed at the change in topic. "I like how close everyone is; like they'd do anything for each other."

"Yeah, sometimes they do too much, though." I thought about Rosemary and her meddling. Although, without her meddling, I wouldn't be on a date with Jack.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing." I laughed quietly.

"So you're a teacher?" He met my eyes, and I nodded. "What grade do you teach?"

"Second. But I'm also in the process of getting a degree in counseling. That's actually how I met Rosemary—in grad school."

"Counseling?" He raised his eyebrows. "What made you choose that?"

"Well, I see a lot of issues in the classroom, issues that I know could be helped. I don't think I'll get a license to practice or anything. I just thought it would be helpful if I had a better understanding of those issues and how to approach them. School should be about more than learning what's in books. I want to be able to help my students with more than just their intellectual development, you know?" I met his gaze.

A soft smile flicked across his face. "You're really passionate about this, aren't you? Your face just lit up so much while you were talking."

I felt my cheeks color. "Honestly, I could talk about this for hours. I won't subject you to that, though." I let out a small laugh.

He grinned, revealing deep dimples. "I wouldn't mind." He hesitantly reached over and linked his fingers in mine.

Butterflies rose in my stomach at his touch. I took a deep breath to clear my head, wishing he would never let go. "So," I cleared my throat, "you mentioned you have a brother?"

"Yeah. Tom. He's a few years younger than I am. He still technically lives in the city, but he's always traveling, so I don't really see him that often." His thumb rubbed circles on my hand while he spoke. "What about you? Any siblings?"

I nodded. "I have two sisters, one younger and one older. My younger sister, Julie, still lives in St. Louis with my parents. Viola lives in London with her husband, and they're having a baby at the end of the summer."

"Are you excited to be an aunt?"

"I'm so excited. I love kids—obviously, since I'm a teacher." I laughed softly before growing serious. "It's just a little disappointing that they live so far away. I only see them once a year, if that." I sighed. "I know it'll be even harder for my parents, though. This is their first grandchild. They'll probably be flying out to London all the time once the baby is born."

"I don't even know what my mom would do if Tom or I moved halfway across the world like that. She'd probably just move with us." He gave a lopsided smile and chuckled. I loved the sound of his laugh.

"Are you close with her?"

"Yeah. She and Tom are really the only family I have, and since Tom is always flying off to who knows where, I kind of feel like I need to be there for her."

"She's lucky to have you." I squeezed his hand.

Our conversation flowed easily all evening. There was something about him that immediately put me at ease. We lost track of time, and soon we had been out for almost three hours. I would've gladly stayed even longer, but Jack had to work the next day.

Jack held my hand as he walked me to my front door.

"Tonight was a lot of fun. Thank you."

"I had a good time, too." He squeezed my hand. "I'd better get home. I have to work tomorrow, but I'll see you Sunday?"

I nodded.

He nervously stepped forward and pulled me into a hug. I melted into his arms, feeling safer and more comfortable than I ever remembered feeling. I tried to memorize everything about that moment: the way his arms felt around me, the warmth of his breath on my skin, the musky smell of his cologne. I couldn't help but be a little disappointed when he pulled away.

"Good night, Jack."

"Good night, Elizabeth." He squeezed my hand one last time before walking across the yard to his house, turning back to smile and wave before he entered his house.

...

I woke early the next morning, still smiling about the previous night. My smile grew wider when I checked my phone and noticed a text from Jack, telling me once again that he had a great time. I pulled my blanket around me and made my way downstairs, followed closely by Bronte. I fed her before I poured myself a cup of tea and settled into the couch.

I thought back to the night before. Jack and I had only known each other for a few weeks, but it felt like we had known each other forever. It had been so easy to talk to him, almost too easy. I couldn't help but wish I could spend all of my time talking with him. It hadn't even been twelve hours since he left me on my front porch, but I couldn't wait to see him again.

My phone rang, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Abigail?"

"How was last night?"

"Good morning to you, too."

I heard her laugh. "Sorry. Good morning, Elizabeth. How was the date?"

"Abigail, you were there. I'm sure you saw how it went."

"I want to hear your perspective, though. How was it?"

"It was good." I felt the corners of my mouth turn up. "We had a lot of fun. We talked a lot."

"And?"

"And what? There's nothing more to tell. It went well. We'll probably go out again."

Bronte barked when someone knocked on the door.

"I need to go. Someone's at the door."

"Is it Jack?" Her voice was full of excitement.

I rolled my eyes as I walked to the door. "He's working today, so no. I'll see you tomorrow, Abigail."

Rosemary pushed her way into my house as soon as I opened the door. "How'd it go?"

"Wow, everyone is just right to the point this morning. No pleasantries or anything. Tea?" I refilled my cup and held up the kettle.

She shook her head. "No, thank you. How was your evening? Was it everything you hoped for and more?"

I returned to the couch, and Rosemary sat beside me. "Okay, first of all, 'everything I hoped for and more'?" I laughed quietly. "We are not in middle school, Rosie."

"Whatever. You know what I mean. So how did it go?"

"It was good. He took me to the café. We talked a lot. We haven't made plans yet, but we'll probably go out again." I felt like I was speaking from a script, saying the same lines over and over.

"You're welcome."

I looked at her, confused. "For what?"

"It was my idea to invite the two of you to dinner."

I rolled my eyes and smiled. "Thank you, Rosie." I sighed. "I really like him, more than I expected I would."

"I think somebody is smitten."

I sipped my tea. "I don't know if smitten is the word I would use."

"What about love?"

I nearly choked on my tea. "Whoa, there," I coughed. "I've known him for less than a month. We've been on one date. It is entirely too early to be speaking of love." Or was it? I felt differently about Jack than I did about anyone else. But was it love? I certainly enjoyed spending time with him, and I spent most of the time that we weren't together thinking about him.

"Elizabeth?" Rosemary spoke again, drawing me from my thoughts. "Were you thinking about Jack?"

I fidgeted with the blanket that I still had wrapped around me. "Maybe…" Heat filled my cheeks.

"Okay, I'll stop bugging you about him. For now." She winked. "Do you have any plans today?"

"Nope. I was just going to do some laundry and take Bee for a walk." Bronte looked up when she heard me mention her. "Not right now, Bee."

"Why don't you come over for lunch? I need to talk to you about something."

"Sure." I was concerned by her tone. "Is everything okay, Rosie?"

She nodded, but she seemed a little distracted by something. "Everything is fine. I promise. I'll leave you alone now. See you at noon?"

"I'll be there."

She left my house, leaving me to spend the rest of the morning wondering what on earth she would need to talk to me about.


	4. Chapter 4

"Thanks for coming over." Rosemary quickly ushered me into the house. "I made pasta."

It took everything in me to keep myself from bringing up whatever it was that Rosemary wanted to talk about with me. She didn't speak while she brought out two plates of pasta and two glasses of water. She remained uncharacteristically quiet while she began to eat.

She cleared her throat. "So, I told you that I needed to talk to you about something."

"Yes?" I tried not to seem too eager to find out what she needed to discuss.

She seemed hesitant to continue. "Um, Lee is the only other person who knows this so you have to promise not to say anything."

With her statement, I began to form an idea of what she was about to tell me. I nodded, promising that her secret was safe with me.

"I'm pregnant."

"Rosie! Congratulations!" I reached over and squeezed her hand.

"Thank you." She smiled.

"But wait. We had wine at dinner the other night."

She shook her head. "I didn't have any. You were probably too distracted to notice." She smirked. "Oh," she gasped. "Speaking of dinner the other night, what was with the comment about the cookies?"

My face warmed. "Um, I might have brought some cookies to Jack last week."

"You baked cookies for him?"

"Not for _him_ specifically. I just had one of those nights where I couldn't sleep, so I baked instead. I figured I might as well bring some to him; I had made plenty."

"You didn't bring any to me." She pretended to pout.

I rolled my eyes and smiled. "I just…had other things on my mind." _Other things_ being Jack. "Anyway, enough about this. So, you're having a baby! That's so exciting, Rosie. When are you due?"

"The end of September."

"So you're about two months along?"

She nodded. "I found out a month or so ago. It's been so hard to keep it a secret."

"I'm so happy for you, Rosie. Lee, too. That little baby has no idea how lucky it is to have you two as parents."

"Thank you for that." She rested her hands on her stomach. "And this little baby is lucky to have you as Auntie Beth."

"'Auntie Beth.' I like the sound of that." I smiled.

...

"Is anyone sitting here?"

I turned, pleasantly surprised to see Jack. "Hi. No, it's all yours." I motioned for him to sit in the pew beside me. I hadn't planned on seeing him until after church, so I was happy to get to spend the morning with him.

He leaned over. "I know I've already said this, but I had a really good time Friday night."

I smiled, feeling heat rise in my cheeks. "So did I."

"I was thinking…" he paused for a moment. "Maybe we could do it again."

"I'd like that."

"Good."

Jack was sitting close enough that our arms were touching. I was distracted by his proximity to me, unable to focus on anything else. Had anyone asked me what had happened during the service, I would have been incapable of giving an answer—except that he reached over at some point during the sermon and took my hand in his.

We stood together at the back of the church after the service ended, trying to come up with plans for the rest of the day.

"Hey, we always go to lunch after church at Abigail's. You're welcome to come."

"Are you sure that's okay with Abigail?"

She walked up and put and hand on his shoulder. "Of course it's okay. We'd love to have you join us."

"Yeah, you know what they say: the more the merrier." I nudged him playfully.

"Okay. I guess I'll see you there?"

I nodded. He gently squeezed my arm and walked away.

Abigail smiled. "I think you were holding back when you told me how your date went."

I shrugged. "I told you we had a really good time. We're going to see each other again. It's still really new, there's not much else to tell."

She put her arm around me. "Come on, let's get going so we can make sure you get a seat by Jack."

"Abigail!"

Jack was already at the café when Abigail and I arrived, waiting in his car. He and I followed Abigail through the front door. Rosemary, Lee, Clara, and Jesse all entered shortly after.

We sat at a large table in the center of the room, and I proceeded to introduce everyone to Jack while Abigail went to the kitchen to get the food.

"You already know Lee and Rosemary." I motioned across the table at them. "This is Clara, Abigail's daughter-in-law, and her boyfriend, Jesse."

They both waved from the other side of the table. Jack seemed a little confused.

"I'll explain later," I told him quietly. I cleared my throat before continuing. "Then there's Faith." I paused for a moment, feeling like I was missing someone. "Oh, I guess that's everyone. I forgot that Abigail's kids are visiting their aunt this weekend."

"It's nice to meet you all." Jack gave a small nod.

He was quiet at lunch, only speaking when someone asked him a direct question. I could tell that he felt like the odd man out. I hoped that feeling wouldn't last long; I enjoyed having him there with me.

...

I sat beside Jack on the swing on my back porch. His arm rested on the swing behind me, not quite touching me. Bronte walked along the fence line, nose to the ground.

"Hey, Jack? I'm sorry if you were uncomfortable at lunch today."

"Why do you think I was uncomfortable?"

"I don't know." I pulled my knees to my chest. "You seemed kind of quiet. And I know it can be stressful meeting a lot of new people all at once."

"Elizabeth." He moved his hand to my back. "I'm still new in town. I've gotten used to being in situations where I'm the outsider."

"So you weren't uncomfortable?" I looked up, meeting his gaze.

"No. In fact, I was happy to be included in your Sunday tradition."

"I'm glad. I liked having you there." I gave a slight smile. "So is there anything you want to do this afternoon?"

He shrugged. "I wouldn't mind just sitting here and talking. It's a nice day. Unless there's something you really want to do."

"That sounds like a good plan to me. I'll just be right back."

My phone was buzzing when I entered my house.

"Rosie? Do you need something?"

"Are you busy right now?"

"Um, well… Jack is here."

"Oh my gosh. I'm sorry for bothering you. I'll just wait for Lee to get home."

"No, it's fine, Rosemary. What do you need?"

"I'm fine. Just go enjoy your afternoon with Jack." I could almost hear her smiling through the phone.

"Okay, but please call me if you change your mind about whatever it is you need."

I filled two glasses with water and grabbed a blanket before I headed back to the porch.

"Sorry that took so long." I handed him a glass of water and returned to my spot beside him. I spread the blanket across my legs, leaving enough for Jack to use if he wanted.

"Are you cold? We don't have to stay out here."

"I'm a little chilly, but that's why I brought a blanket out."

He pulled the remaining half of the blanket over his lap. I hesitantly moved a little closer to him. He smiled and put his hand on my back again.

"Oh, I just remembered that I promised to explain the whole Abigail-Clara-Jesse thing."

He leaned back, more relaxed than I had seen him all day. He absentmindedly traced circles on my back while I spoke.

"Where to start…Abigail and her husband, Noah, had a son, Peter. Clara and Peter dated all through high school, and they got married right after they graduated. A few months later, Peter and Noah were in a car accident. Neither of them survived."

"That's awful."

I nodded. "I didn't know either of them, but from what I've heard, they both sound like they were great men." I sighed. "Anyway, Jesse moved to town shortly after I did, and he and Clara have pretty much been together ever since."

"Wow, that must've been horrible for both of them, losing their husbands like that."

"Mhmm, and Clara was so young. Thankfully, she had Abigail to help her."

"They seem happy now."

I nodded, leaning my head on his shoulder. "They are."

I felt butterflies in my stomach as he took my hand in his. We sat in silence for a while, just enjoying being close to each other. I relaxed into him, focusing on the soft sound of his breathing.

"Jack?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for coming over today."

He squeezed my hand. "Thank you for inviting me."

...

Jack and I saw each other nearly every day that week. Some days, we met for breakfast at Abigail's before work. Other days, we spent the afternoon sitting on the porch swing and talking. It was easy to forget that we had known each other for less than a month.

Friday evening, Jack arrived at my house to pick me up for our second date. He hadn't given me many details, just the time that I should be ready.

When I opened the door, he pulled a bouquet of flowers from behind his back.

"These are for you." He grinned as he held the bouquet out to me.

"Jack…" I took the flowers from him, ushering him into the house. "These are beautiful. Thank you."

He sat down on the couch, watching me as I put the flowers into a vase and placed them on the coffee table.

"I just need a few more minutes, then I'll be ready to go."

He nodded, and I quickly headed up the stairs to my room. I took a deep breath as I put my shoes on, wondering why I felt so nervous again. We had spent so much time together that week, and it wasn't like we were getting ready to go on our very first date. There was no reason for me to be nervous.

He slipped his hand into mine as we walked across the yard. At his touch, my nerves seemed to melt away.

"Jack, where are we going?" I expected to head toward his car, but we walked toward his back fence instead.

"Just wait." He dropped my hand as he opened the gate and led me into the backyard.

A projector screen was set up along the far fence line. A blanket was laid out on the grass, a picnic basket sitting in the middle of it.

"I wanted to take you to a drive-in, but apparently they don't like to be open this time of year."

"This is better," I stated as I sat down on the blanket.

He sat beside me and started to pull food from the basket. "You can take whatever you want. There's plenty."

Once we had both made up our plates and got situated, Jack grabbed a remote and turned on the projector.

I gasped. " _The Sound of Music_? I love this movie!"

He smiled. "I know."

I looked at him quizzically, eyebrows raised. "How? I've never mentioned it before."

"I _might_ have asked Rosemary what your favorite movies were."

He pressed play, and I felt my lips curl into a smile at the familiar music. I hummed along, almost forgetting that Jack was sitting beside me.

My cheeks flamed when I noticed his eyes on me. "Sorry, I can't help but sing along with this movie."

He put his hand on mine, giving me a wide smile. "Don't be sorry. You have a great voice. Besides, I don't think my neighbor will mind." He winked.

I leaned my head on his shoulder, and his arm slid around my waist, pulling me closer. I relaxed into him, his hand slowly moving up and down my side. I shivered at his touch.

"Are you cold?" His breath tickled my ear.

I shook my head, but he draped a blanket around me anyway.

The moon was high in the sky by the time the movie was over. I was exhausted, my eyelids drooping, but a part of me wasn't ready to leave. I was so comfortable in Jack's embrace.

"Hey." Jack touched my cheek. "I should probably walk you home. You look tired."

I snuggled into his chest. "I don't want to go." The exhaustion was evident in my voice.

"Elizabeth, it's late. We'll see each other tomorrow." He stood and held out his hand to help me up.

"Thank you for tonight, Jack. Next time, we can watch something you like."

"Who's to say I don't like _The Sound of Music_? Besides, it's the company that I care about."

My cheeks warmed at his statement. "Good night, Jack."

"Good night." He gave me one last hug before I entered my house.

I leaned against the door and sighed happily. It had been a perfect evening.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thank you guys for the kind comments! I'm glad you're enjoying this story. Please don't be too upset with me for this chapter...

...

"Jack, what are you doing here?" I pulled the blanket tighter around me, knowing I must look awful.

"I couldn't just sit in my house knowing you were sick over here."

"How did you even know I was sick?" I turned my head to cough.

"I stopped by the café this morning, and Abigail told me."

"I'm fine, Jack. You should go back home so you don't get sick, too."

He stepped into the house and led me over to the couch. "Elizabeth, please just let me sit with you or something."

I didn't have the energy to protest. "Fine." I leaned back, resting my head on the arm of the sofa.

Jack brought me a fresh glass of water before moving toward the stairs.

"Jack, what are you doing? I thought you said you were going to sit with me."

"I'll be right back." He disappeared up the stairs without further explanation, leaving me to wonder what he could be doing.

He returned a few minutes later, carrying a pillow from my bed. I sat up slightly, and he slid the pillow beneath my head. "Thank you."

I dozed off to the sound of Jack rummaging through my kitchen.

When I woke, Jack was sitting on the other side of the couch, my legs laying across his lap. I stretched, feeling stiff from my nap.

"Hey." He reached out and pushed the hair from my face. "How are you feeling?"

"A little less tired, but still not great."

"I'm sorry." He touched his hand to my cheek. "Do you need anything? Are you hungry?"

I shook my head. "No. I just want to lay here." I rolled onto my side. "Jack, you really don't have to stay. Abigail brought by some food earlier, so I'm all set."

"Elizabeth, there's nothing I'd rather be doing than sitting here with you all day."

I didn't really believe him. He had to be bored just sitting there while I laid around all day. I didn't even have the energy to carry on a full conversation with him.

In the afternoon, he heated up some of the soup Abigail had brought over earlier that day, insisting that I eat something.

He flipped through channels on the TV while I sipped the broth. He glanced over every few seconds, making sure that I was eating.

"Jack, I've been sick before. I know how to take care of myself."

"Sorry. I just hate that you aren't feeling well."

"I'll be fine." It seemed a little strange that _I_ was reassuring _him_ when I was the one who was sick. "I still think you should just go home. What if you end up getting sick because you've been sitting here in my cloud of germs?"

He shrugged. "Then I get sick." He reached over and touched my arm. "And Elizabeth, please stop telling me to go home. I'm not leaving you right now."

"Hey, Jack. When I'm done eating, can you help me to my room? If I keep falling asleep on this couch, I'm going to be sick _and_ sore tomorrow."

"Sure."

Fifteen minutes later, Jack was following me up the stairs, one hand on my back. He sat on the edge of the bed until he was sure I was situated and comfortable.

"Do you need anything?" His hand brushed across my cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"No." I pulled my blanket up to my chin.

"Okay." He kissed my forehead, butterflies rising in my stomach at the feeling of his lips on my skin.

"Wait." I stopped him before he left the room. "Actually, if you don't mind, could you take Bronte for a walk?"

He nodded. "Sure."

"Thank you. Her leash is by the door."

I fell asleep again before he was even out the front door.

...

I felt much better the next morning, but I still wasn't up to a hundred percent. I had finally convinced Jack to leave the night before. I was thankful he hadn't protested too much; I wasn't quite comfortable letting him stay overnight, even if he was going to be in another room.

He stopped by for a little while before he had to go to work. I reassured him that I was feeling much better after getting more rest. He still seemed reluctant to leave my side.

Though his concern for me really was sweet, I couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed by it, too. I never had someone in my life who was willing to drop everything and sit with me for an entire day while I was sick—especially someone I had only known for a month.

It honestly scared me a bit. Everything was moving so quickly, and my emotions hadn't gotten a chance to catch up. We had essentially gone straight from strangers to being in a relationship. And it wasn't just a casual relationship; it had gotten very serious very fast.

...

Over the next week, Jack and I struggled to find time to spend together. He was working late shifts, and I was balancing work and midterms in my graduate classes. We tried to talk on the phone as often as we could, but even then, it felt like we were having difficulty connecting. I couldn't quite figure out what exactly seemed to be getting between us.

I flipped through the channels while I waited for Jack to call, not really looking for any show in particular. I stopped when I saw familiar scenery appear on the local news station.

An armed robber had gone into a local store, looking for cash. I knew Jack was working late that day, so I was fairly certain he would have been called to the scene. My stomach dropped when I heard what the news reporter was saying.

Two people had been shot, both members of law enforcement. One was in critical condition, the other died on the scene. They weren't releasing the names of the victims at this time.

My head spun. _That could be Jack. He could be hurt or… worse_.

I grabbed my phone and dialed his number, barely able to see the screen through the tears filling my eyes. I prayed that he would pick up, but I was sent to his voicemail.

I called again two more times with the same result, eventually giving up.

I looked out the window towards his house. His driveway was empty.

I felt so useless. I hated not knowing if he was okay. Thoughts swirled in my mind. I knew he was a sheriff; I had known that since before I even met him. I knew his job could be dangerous. Apparently, I had been able to ignore the risks he faced.

I kept glancing at my phone, hoping to see his name come up on the screen. _He'll call as soon as he gets a chance_ , I kept telling myself. He had to call. He had to be okay.

I stayed up until well past midnight, still waiting to hear from Jack. I ran to the window every time I thought I heard a car outside, hoping to see him pulling into his driveway.

When I eventually decided to try to sleep, I kept the phone by my pillow with the ringer turned up.

In my dreams, he was gone. I saw the funeral, everyone in town dressed in black. I saw the house next door sit empty. I saw myself grieving.

When I awoke, my throat was tight, as if I had been crying. It took a few moments for me to reorient myself and realize that it was just a dream. Jack was okay—probably. I still hadn't heard anything from him.

I checked my phone. There were no missed calls or unread text messages. _Why haven't I heard from him?_

I tried to push the worry from my mind. I made myself a mug of tea and sat on the front porch, watching the birds flit through the tree branches. It was a beautiful morning; the promise of spring was evident in the cool morning air.

I heard a car turn down the street, and I broke into a sprint when I recognized it as Jack's.

I expected that all the worry I had been feeling over the past twelve hours would come bursting out as soon as I confronted him. What I didn't expect was to feel so angry.

"Jack Thornton! You can't do that to me!" I was practically yelling at him.

From the look on his face, it was obvious that he had no idea what I was talking about. "What did I do?"

"You let me worry about you all night! I saw on the news that there was a robbery, and some people got shot. I assume you were there?"

He just nodded.

"I called you so many times last night, but you didn't answer. You didn't even call me back. Why didn't you call me back? I thought you were hurt! I thought something bad happened to you!"

"Elizabeth." His voice was calm; he was clearly trying to keep me from getting even more heated. "I didn't know you saw anything about the robbery. Had I known, I would've found a way to contact you."

"But you should've figured that I saw the news story when you had a thousand missed calls from me! Or you should've at least figured that something was going on."

"My phone died when I was out on the scene. There was no way for me to charge it." He rubbed his hands up and down my arms as he spoke, still attempting to calm me down.

"What about when you got back to the office? You could've charged it then."

"I was so busy that I forgot about it. I still haven't had a chance to charge it. I honestly hadn't thought about it until now. I'm really sorry, Elizabeth. I never meant for you to worry about me."

"So you're okay?"

"I'm fine." He pulled me into his arms, holding me close as I finally allowed myself to cry.

My anger had turned into anxiety, which was quickly turning into relief. We didn't move for a long time, even after my tears had stopped. I was afraid to let him go, and it seemed that he was feeling the same way about me.

...

I tossed and turned all night. A thought had been stuck in my mind all week, ever since I saw the news story about the robbery. I'd tried to ignore it, but it kept coming back. I knew I had to face it.

I lay in bed, a weak stream of moonlight shining through the gap in my curtains. The thought pulsed in my mind. I finally decided what I needed to do, though the thought of it left my stomach in knots and brought tears to my eyes.

I prayed that my students couldn't tell how awful I felt. All I could think about was what would happen when I got home.

I sat on the front porch after work, waiting for Jack's car to turn down the street. He saw me when he pulled in his driveway, and he immediately came over.

I stood up to meet him. My heart was pounding as I thought about what I was about to do, what I had to do.

"Jack…" I took a deep breath. "We need to talk."

His eyes immediately filled with concern. "Is everything okay?"

"I can't do this, Jack."

"What are you talking about, Elizabeth?" He put his hands on my arms.

"This. Us. I can't do it anymore." I pushed away from him. "I'm sorry. It's just too much for me." Tears stung my eyes.

"Elizabeth, no. You can't be doing this." He stepped toward me.

"Jack, please. I just need some space. I can't. Goodbye." I moved back, closing the door between us.

He continued to knock on the door, calling my name. I slid to the floor, tears streaming down my face.

...

A/N I'm so so so sorry for ending the chapter like this. I hated writing it (I even cried a little while writing it, if we're being honest). But, there are some things that Elizabeth needs to work through, and this is how it had to be done. Please trust me when I say that things will work out! Just stick with it a little while longer!

I'll try to get the next chapter up later this week so you aren't suffering too long!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Again, I'm so so sorry for the last chapter! Thank you all for the kind and supportive comments! I hope this chapter makes up for the last one!

...

I woke early the next morning, before the sun was up. I threw some clothes into a suitcase, barely even paying attention to the items I was packing. When I checked my phone, the notifications were filled with voicemails and unread text messages. I left them unopened.

The sun was barely beginning to peek over the horizon when I loaded the suitcase into my car. I called Bronte out and quickly got her into the back seat.

I needed to leave soon, before I lost my nerve, before I talked myself out of it. Before anyone tried to stop me.

I sent Rosemary a text, letting her know that I had changed my mind and would be going out of town for Spring Break. I didn't give her any details as to where I was going. I didn't want her to tell him.

I drove all morning, only stopping once to eat a quick lunch and let Bronte stretch her legs. It was mid-afternoon when I finally pulled into the driveway.

My father's car was gone, so I knew that he was still at work. I had called my mother earlier in the day to let her know I was on my way. She pressed me for details, but I promised to talk more when I arrived.

Julie ran out to greet me. It was good to see her. I hadn't visited my family in a few months, since Christmas, but it was like nothing had changed.

She took my bag from me and walked ahead of me into the house. I let Bronte into the backyard before I went to find my mother. She was in the library, right where I expected her to be.

"Mom?"

She set her book down and rose to give me a hug. "Sweetheart, it's so good to see you."

"Thanks for letting me come, mom. I just needed to get away for a little while, and this was the first place that came to mind."

"You're always welcome here, Elizabeth. You know that." She sat down and motioned for me to do the same. "So, do you want to talk about why you just suddenly decided to come here?"

I fidgeted with the hem on my shirt. "Not really, but I know it'll come up eventually." I sighed. "We broke up."

"Oh, Elizabeth. I'm so sorry. What happened?"

"I still haven't worked out exactly what happened. I got scared and decided it was too much." I blinked away the tears that had begun to form. "Mom, can we talk more later? I have a bit of a headache, and I didn't sleep well last night. I just want to rest for a little while."

"Sure." She kissed my cheek. "There are fresh sheets on your bed and clean towels in your bathroom. Let me know if you need anything else."

"Thank you, mom. When dad gets home, let him know I'll be down to see him later."

I ascended the stairs and entered my childhood bedroom. I smiled at the comfort and familiarity of the room. I climbed onto the bed, laying on top of the covers. I dozed off, only to be jolted awake a few minutes later by a knock on the door.

"Elizabeth?" It was Julie's voice on the other side of the door.

I groaned, knowing that she would let herself in even if I didn't give her permission.

"Come in."

She closed the door behind herself and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Okay, spill. Why did you decide to come here at the last minute?"

"I can't just make a spontaneous trip to see my family?"

"Elizabeth, you are the least spontaneous person I know. You plan out everything. You even have to mentally prepare yourself for small talk when you go to the dentist. 'Winging it' isn't in your vocabulary. There has to be some reason why you just loaded up and drove here with just a few hours' notice."

I sighed and leaned back on my pillow, pulling a blanket over my face.

"Does it have to do with Jack?"

Tears filled my eyes at the mention of his name. I sniffed.

Julie put her hand on my arm. "Did he break up with you?"

I peeked out from under the blanket and shook my head. "I broke up with him."

"What?! Why?! The last I heard from you, you were crazy about him."

"That was the problem. It freaked me out when I realized how much I really cared about him after such a short time."

"But why did that make you feel like you had to break up with him?"

I rolled onto my side. "I've never felt this way about someone before. Remember when I dated Charles, and I was never really sure how I felt about him?"

She nodded.

"Well, with Jack, there was never any doubt about my feelings. I know that I care deeply for him. And I know he cares deeply for me. He even sat with me for an entire day a few weeks ago when I was sick. I slept for most of the day, but he was there with me the whole time. Who does that after only knowing someone for a month?"

"Oh, Elizabeth. Why would that lead you to the conclusion that you needed to break up with him?"

I covered my face with my hands. "A few days ago, I saw on the news that there was a shooting, and I knew that he was there. I always knew in the back of my mind that his job could be dangerous, but that was the first time that I really thought about the risks he faces. He could've been killed that day. All I could think about was how much it would hurt if I lost him. I just decided that I didn't want to live my life worrying every day if he was going to come home or not, and that's easier to do if we aren't dating."

"I'm so sorry, Elizabeth."

I smiled weakly. "I'll be okay."

"Well, we'll just have to keep you occupied all week to get your mind off of everything. We can go shopping, and we can visit the botanical gardens, and-"

"Thanks, Julie," I cut her off, knowing she would just keep listing activities if I didn't stop her. "You're my favorite little sister."

She rolled her eyes and laughed. "You're my favorite big sister, but if you tell Viola I said that, I'll deny it."

...

"Elizabeth?" Julie knocked on my door again a few hours later. She cracked the door open and peeked in.

I waved her in. "I'm not in the mood to talk about it right now."

"That's not why I'm here. I figured you probably wouldn't want dinner, but I brought you something anyway." She pulled a container from behind her back.

"You brought me Ted Drewes?"

She shrugged. "There's no better way to get over a breakup than by drowning your sorrows in ice cream. Believe me, I would know."

I knew she was referring to the whole slew of boyfriends she had gone through the past couple of years. Julie and I looked related, but that was pretty much where our similarities ended. I always wondered why she would put herself through all that heartbreak over and over. After this situation with Jack, I honestly didn't know if I was willing to risk going through something like that again. It hurt too much.

While we shared the ice cream, she talked about her college classes and what had been going on at home lately. She mentioned that they had been able to video chat with Viola recently, and we discussed our predictions about our new little niece or nephew. I was glad that she didn't press me any more about Jack.

Once we finished the ice cream, I went downstairs for a little while to say hi to my dad and to bring Bronte back up to my room with me.

I thought I would feel better since I had talked some things through with Julie and my mom, but I still tossed and turned all night.

My week back home passed too quickly. I wished I could stay longer, but I needed to get back for work.

Julie had kept her word and planned out so many different activities to fill our days. We visited the botanical gardens and the art museum. We went to a show at the Fox Theatre one evening with our parents. We even spent a day at the zoo, something I hadn't done in years.

Before I left, I promised to come back to visit soon. I just hoped my next visit would be under better circumstances.

...

Jack was sitting on my front porch when I pulled into the driveway. My heart dropped when I saw the sadness in his face. Bronte ran over and jumped on him as soon as I let her out of the car. I left my bag in the car and sat beside him, leaving plenty of space between us.

"Why did you leave?" His voice was tight.

"I just couldn't be here." I sighed. "I'm sorry, Jack. I owe you an explanation."

He kept his gaze aimed at the ground in front of him. "Yes, you do."

I took a deep breath and went straight into the speech I had rehearsed in my head on my drive home. "I never meant to hurt you, but it scared me, Jack. All of it scared me. We dated for a month, and you were already willing to sit with me for an entire day while I was sick. No one has ever done that for me before. Ever. It scared me knowing that you cared that much about me. And then right after, there was the night I sat in my house for twelve hours, not knowing if you were okay, not knowing if you were even _alive_. I can't go through that again. I had a dream that same night that you had died, and I realized that I couldn't handle that. I can't live my life wondering if today is the day that you'll be hurt, or worse. I can't spend my days wondering if you're going to come home. I can't let myself care that much, because I can't handle all the other emotions that come with that. It's just too much for me."

He sighed, meeting my eyes for the first time since I had sat down. "So, if I'm hearing you correctly, you ended things between us because you're afraid that something will happen to me, and you don't think you could deal with that emotionally?"

"Yes."

"I guess I'm just having a hard time understanding why you felt that breaking up was the best way to deal with that."

I let out a breath. "I can't really explain it, Jack. It just felt like what I needed to do for me."

"Can I just say one thing?"

I nodded.

"My dad was in law enforcement. He was killed on the job. Even before he died, my mom worried about him every single day. She struggled with the same fears you're dealing with right now. But facing her fears was worth it because she loved him."

"Jack…"

"Are we not worth it, Elizabeth?" There were tears in his eyes.

"I don't know, Jack. I don't know if I can get past that fear. When I thought that there was even a _chance_ that something bad had happened to you, I didn't know what to do." My voice was almost a whisper. "It scared me that I could care so much about someone—about you." _That I could love you_.

"Elizabeth…" He stood and held out his hand to help me up. "Please, tell me that we're worth it. Please give us another chance. I love you."

I raised my eyes to meet his. "What?"

He put his hands on my arms, flicking his gaze between my eyes and my mouth. I felt butterflies in my stomach as I figured out what he was thinking. He leaned forward, gently placing his lips on mine.

My breath caught in my throat, and my entire body grew warm. He pulled back slightly, gauging my reaction. My eyes were immediately drawn to his lips, and I was the one to lean in this time.

We separated slightly, our foreheads still touching. He wrapped his arms around my waist. "I love you, Elizabeth Thatcher. So much."

I smiled and pressed my lips to his again. "I love you, too."

"This isn't really what I expected when this conversation started."

I laughed softly. "Me neither."

"Elizabeth, please promise me that, next time, you'll talk with me about how you're feeling."

I nodded. "Of course. No more running."

"Okay, good." He kissed me again. "And I promise that I will try my hardest not to leave you worrying about me for twelve hours ever again."

"Do you want to come in for some coffee or a snack or something? My mom sent some gooey butter cake with me."

"Well, I can't say no to that."

We spent the rest of the evening talking and eating, catching up after our week apart. It was late when we finally said good night and Jack went home. I knew I would be exhausted at work the next day, but it was worth it. Jack was worth it.


	7. Chapter 7

Not even twenty-four hours after I arrived back home, I got a call from Julie.

"Julie? I _just_ saw you. What's going on?" I was a little worried, given that she was calling so soon after I left.

"Oh, don't worry. Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to know how things went with you know who when you got home. Have you seen him yet?"

I laughed. "You make it sound like I'm dating Voldemort. That's about as far from Jack as you can possibly get."

"Wait. _Dating_? Present tense? Are you back together?"

"Mhmm." I held the phone away from my ear as she squealed. "He was waiting at my house when I pulled up last night, so we talked things through. Everything's good now."

"You sound happy."

My lips curled into a smile. "I am. I'm very happy."

Just minutes after I ended the call, there was a knock on my door. Jack was working late, so I knew it couldn't be him. I was only a little surprised when I opened the door.

"Oh hi, Rosie, good to-"

She pushed her way into the house.

"…see you," I finished

Rosemary didn't even greet me before she started speaking. "Okay, I'm going to need you to bring me up to speed with everything. You left town suddenly, and then Jack came looking for you, saying you broke up with him. What happened?"

I was honestly getting tired of explaining my actions, but I knew that Rosemary wouldn't rest until I told her everything. "Well, first, you need to know that we're back together."

"Oh, thank goodness." She let out a sigh of relief. "But why on earth did you break up with him in the first place?"

"The short version is that I got scared. Scared of losing him because of his job, scared of how much I care about him." I shrugged. "And then I left, because I knew it would be too hard to see him after I ended things."

"But you're back together now?"

I nodded. "Yes. My week away gave me a chance to think, and then Jack and I talked when I got back. I realized that I was being ridiculous."

"You were just doing what you felt was right for you, that's not ridiculous."

"Thank you for saying that, Rosie. But you have to admit, running away because I was scared of how much I care about my boyfriend _was_ a little ridiculous."

She grinned.

I looked at her curiously. "What?"

"You just called him your boyfriend."

"Well," I felt a blush rise in my cheeks, "that's what he is."

"I'm just so happy for you, Elizabeth. Both of you. You seem happier than I've seen you in a long time."

"Thank you, Rosie. And thank you for inviting me and Jack to that dinner. I needed that little push."

"Just remember to invite me to the wedding." She winked.

...

Monday morning, Jack slid into the booth across from me. "Good morning."

The corners of my mouth turned up. "Good morning to you, too."

"Are you busy this weekend?"

"We're skipping the small talk today?" I smirked.

"You hate small talk."

I nodded. "I do hate small talk. But to answer your question: no. I'm not busy this weekend."

"Okay, good." He reached across the table and squeezed my hand. "We're going on a little overnight trip."

Butterflies filled my stomach at the thought of staying the night with him.

"Don't worry, I got us separate rooms." Sometimes it was as if he could read my mind. "I didn't want you to be uncomfortable."

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise. But Lee and Rosemary are coming, too."

"Can I at least get a hint?" I tried to muster up a pleading look.

Jack just laughed. "Nope."

I leaned across the table and kissed him. "What about now?"

"Why, Elizabeth Thatcher, you are _very_ persuasive, just not quite persuasive enough. I'm still not telling you." He smiled and wrinkled his nose. "Okay, I have to get to work, so I can't stay for breakfast. I just didn't want to wait until this evening to see you."

"Be safe, Jack."

"I will." He came around the table and leaned down to kiss me quickly before he left the café.

...

Jack knocked on my door Saturday morning. He kissed me before he stepped into the house.

"Good morning. Are you ready to go?"

"Yes. Do you want some coffee to take with you?"

"Yes, please."

I grabbed two thermoses from the counter and handed one to him. "You still aren't going to tell me where we're going?"

"Nope."

I caught up with Rosemary outside while Lee and Jack loaded up the cars. "Rosie, do you know where we're going?"

She shook her head. "Lee won't tell me anything. All I know is that he and Jack have been planning this for a little while."

Jack and I dropped our dogs off at Abigail's house for the weekend. Her son, Cody, was so excited to watch them.

We got on the highway; I still had no idea where we were going. Jack held my hand as he drove, his thumb brushing across my fingers.

I looked over at him, thinking about a few weeks prior, when I almost pushed him away. I couldn't imagine my life without him.

I had been scared by how quickly things were moving between us, but now, I looked forward to a future with him. I could see myself spending my whole life with him, and the thought made me smile.

He glanced over at my out of the corner of his eye. "Are you staring at me?"

"Sorry." I turned my gaze to our hands resting on the console between us, laughing softly.

"What are you thinking about?"

I looked back up at him. "How much I love you."

He lifted my hand to his lips. "I love you, too."

...

An hour and a half into the drive, I pulled out my phone to check the map, hoping to figure out where we were going.

"What are you doing?" Jack shot a quick glance at me before returning his focus to the road.

"Um, I'm just texting Rosie." I knew my fib was unconvincing.

"Elizabeth Thatcher! You're looking at a map!"

"No, I'm not!" I turned my phone screen away from him, laughing.

"You'll find out where we're going soon enough."

I looked at the map. We had been traveling northwest, passing through Tulsa. Now we were driving down curving backroads and through towns not much bigger than Hope Valley.

"Jack, are we going to Pawhuska?"

He didn't respond; he just smiled.

"We are, aren't we? Are we going to the Mercantile?"

"Are you surprised?" He reached over and took my hand.

"Very. But why did you tell me to pack something fancy?"

"You already figured out one surprise. I'm not telling you the rest."

"There's more?"

He nodded. "It _is_ an overnight trip, after all."

...

The four of us sat around a table in the restaurant area of the Mercantile, finishing up an amazing meal.

"Oh my goodness, I think that might have been the best food I've ever tasted." I pushed my plate away, feeling stuffed.

Jack looked down at his almost-empty plate. "I don't think I'll need to eat again for another week."

We laughed, feeling the same way as we noticed all the empty plates on the table.

"I'm pretty sure I look about seven months pregnant now instead of four." Rosemary placed her hands on her stomach.

After we ate, we spent time meandering around the store. Jack and Lee stood off to one side, far less interested in shopping than Rosemary and I were.

We left with full stomachs, a few kitchen items, and some cupcakes and pastries from the bakery.

Mid-afternoon, we pulled up to a hotel in the heart of downtown Tulsa.

"Jack Thornton, what do you have planned?"

He just gave me a wink and a smile as he took our bags from his car. Lee and Rosemary were already in the lobby, having arrived a few minutes before us.

Jack handed me my room key after he got us checked in. "I got us adjoining rooms. I hope that's okay."

I nodded, and the four of us made our way to the elevator. Rosemary and Lee were in a room on the other side of the hallway, so we parted ways.

"See you two in a little while." Lee gave Jack a knowing look before walking with Rosemary down the hall.

"I'm guessing the fancy outfit you asked me to bring is for tonight?"

"You guessed correctly. We have about an hour before we need to leave, so you should have plenty of time to get ready."

I squeezed his hand. "Well, I guess I'll go make myself pretty now."

He leaned in and kissed me. "You're already beautiful, Elizabeth."

I touched his cheek and gave him one last kiss before stepping into my room.

I laid out my dress and heels on the bed, making sure everything still looked decent after having been packed away all morning. My navy blue, knee-length dress had only been worn once or twice before, and I was excited to have the opportunity to wear it again.

An hour later, Jack knocked on the door connecting our rooms.

"One second." I finished doing up the zipper on my dress before I opened the door.

"Wow." Jack let out a breath. "You look amazing, Elizabeth."

I felt my cheeks color, and I nervously smoothed down my skirt. "Thank you. So do you." I cleared my throat. "I just need to put my shoes on, and then I'll be ready to go."

"I told Lee we'd meet them in the lobby."

We stood just inside the door to the hallway. Jack seemed to hesitate.

"Jack, shouldn't we get going?"

"I just need to do one thing before we go." He put his hands on my arms and pulled me into a kiss, leaving me breathless. He smiled. "You really do look beautiful, Beth."

...

Jack and Lee took us to see a show at the performing arts center, just a few blocks from our hotel. Rosemary was ecstatic, reminiscing about her musical theater days while we waited for the show to start.

I hummed along with the songs, having heard the soundtrack a few times before. I could see Jack smiling at me from the corner of my eye. He reached over and squeezed my hand.

After the show, we walked slowly toward our hotel. Although the sun had set, the night air was still relatively warm, even for April.

"I don't know about you guys, but I could go for some pie now." Rosemary rubbed her stomach and laughed.

Lee turned to Jack. "We should've thought about that earlier and gotten a pie from the Mercantile."

"I was so stuffed after that lunch, I didn't even want to think about dessert. But now…"

"I guess you're lucky that I convinced you to check out the bakery." I scrunched my nose at him.

"Yeah, yeah." He rolled his eyes and nudged me with his elbow.

Rosemary sighed as we approached the hotel. "It's such a beautiful night. It's a shame it has to end."

We all nodded in agreement.

...

Jack and I stood in the hallway outside our rooms, having bid Lee and Rosemary good night at the elevator. "Thank you for today, Jack. It was amazing."

He pulled me into his arms, kissing my hair. "You're welcome." He sighed. "I don't want to say good night yet."

"Me neither."

"Hey, are you hungry? We still have the cupcakes we got earlier."

"Mm, that sounds amazing right now. Can I change into something more comfortable first?"

"Of course."

I quickly changed into a T-shirt and sweatpants before washing my face and running a brush through my hair.

Jack opened the door to his room as soon as I knocked. He had changed into a pair of athletic shorts and a T-shirt.

"Come on in." He ushered me through the door. "You'll never guess what's on TV right now."

I glanced up at the TV hanging on the wall. " _Sound of Music_!" I quickly covered my mouth, realizing how loud my outburst was.

Jack laughed and pulled me down beside him on the couch. I stretched my legs across his lap, and he handed me one of the cupcakes we had gotten earlier. We ate them in silence as we watched the movie.

I licked the icing off of my fingers. "I've had so much fun today."

"I'm glad you enjoyed everything."

I leaned in and kissed him. "I enjoy everything when I'm with you."

Suddenly, he began to sing along with the movie in a goofy falsetto.

"Jack! Shh!" I reached out, covering his mouth with my hand. "While I think your singing is beautiful," my voice was dripping with sarcasm, "I don't know if everyone else in this hotel will appreciate it."

He just laughed and pulled me closer to him.

I woke a little while later, curled up with my back against Jack's chest. His arm lay across my body, holding me close. The TV was still flickering.

"Jack," I whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Jack, wake up. We fell asleep." I slipped out from under his arm and stood. "I'm going to go back to my room."

He rubbed his eyes sleepily. "You can stay in here if you want. I don't mind."

"Jack…" I felt my cheeks color, thankful that he wouldn't be able to tell in the dim light of the room. "You got me my own room for a reason. I should use it."

"Okay." He got up and wrapped me in a hug. "See you in the morning."

I nodded into his chest as he tightened his arms around me. "I love you, Jack."

"I love you, too." He kissed me softly. "Good night, Elizabeth."


	8. Chapter 8

I woke in the early hours of the morning, before the sun had risen. I stretched, smiling as I thought about the day before. I was happier than I ever remembered being, all thanks to Jack.

I knocked on the door connecting our rooms. "Jack? Are you awake?"

I opened the door slowly and quietly. Jack lay sprawled out on the bed on top of the covers. I crawled onto the bed beside him. He didn't wake, but he rolled onto his side, wrapping his arms around me. I leaned my cheek against his chest, feeling the beating of his heart beneath his shirt.

Part of me regretted not staying in his room with him when he offered. I was so comfortable lying beside him, but we had set our boundaries. It was best for us to avoid situations where we might be tempted to push or cross those boundaries. Spending the entire night in the same bed would definitely be pushing our boundaries. Actually, spending any amount of time in the same bed was probably pushing it…

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice he had woken up until he kissed my cheek. "Mm, I thought I was imagining things when I felt you beside me."

"Nope. I'm really here." I tilted my head up to meet his lips with mine. "I woke up a little while ago and couldn't fall back to sleep, so I came in here."

"I'm glad I left that door unlocked. This was a nice way to wake up."

My cheeks grew warm as I thought about the possibility of waking up beside him every day. "Don't get used to this, buddy." I smirked. "Remember we have boundaries."

He tightened his arms around me and closed his eyes, clearly still tired.

"Hey, Jack?" I touched his cheek.

"Hmm?" He kept his eyes closed.

"Do you have anything planned for us today?"

"No. Yesterday was a long day, so Lee and I figured we'd probably all want to sleep in today." He buried his face in my hair. "I, for one, would like to stay right here for a while."

"That sounds good to me."

...

In the days after our weekend together, Jack and I had opposite schedules. He left for work shortly before I got home in the afternoon and didn't return for the night until long after I was asleep. I left for school in the mornings before he woke up. Our interactions were limited to short phone conversations whenever he got a break.

Even though we talked every day, I missed him. I couldn't believe that we had made it through an entire week without any contact when we were broken up.

His shift finally switched on Friday, and we were able to meet up for an early breakfast at the café.

"Do you want to come over tonight?" Jack reached across the table and took my hand.

"Actually, I don't think that's a good idea."

He looked at me, confusion in his eyes. "Why? Do you have other plans?"

"It's just that the Blues are playing the Canucks tonight. I think things might get a little too heated if we watch that game together."

"What if I promise not to cheer too loudly when the Canucks win?"

"Well that won't be a problem, because the Canucks are not going to win." I smirked.

"Want to make a bet? If the Canucks win, you have to make dinner tomorrow night. If the Blues win, I'll cook."

"You're on." We shook on it. "You better get your apron ready, Mr. Thornton."

"Does this mean you'll come over tonight?"

"Seven o'clock?"

"I'll see you then."

I squeezed his hand. "See you then. I need to get to work. Bye, Jack."

...

"Are you ready to watch your guys lose?" Jack kissed my cheek as I stepped into his house that evening.

"Nope. But I'm ready to watch _your_ guys lose."

He gasped. "How dare you talk about my Canucks like that!"

I smirked and settled into the couch. Rip wandered over and nudged my hand. "Hey, boy. I'm surprised to see you awake."

"That makes two of us." Jack handed me a glass of water and sat beside me.

I tucked my feet underneath me and leaned into him. It had only been a few months since we first met, but I was already so comfortable with him, more comfortable than I had ever been with any person before. I couldn't help but think of how nice it would be to spend every evening curled up on the couch with him, just talking and enjoying each other's presence.

"What are you thinking about?" He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Nothing, really. Just how much I like spending time with you."

"Even when your guys are losing?"

I pointed at the TV. "Apparently you haven't been paying attention because you are sadly mistaken." The Blues were already winning by two in the first period.

"I have been paying attention." He touched my cheek. "Just not to the game." He kissed my hair and put his arms around me.

"Jack Thornton." My face grew hot.

"Why, Elizabeth Thatcher, you're blushing."

I rolled my eyes. "I know. I blush at everything."

"I think it's cute."

"Yeah yeah." I rested my head on his shoulder. His hand rubbed circles on my back, and I felt my eyes grow heavy.

"Hey." Jack nudged me awake.

I blinked sleepily. "Jack? Why are you here?"

He chuckled quietly. "This is my house. You fell asleep."

"Why didn't you wake me?"

He rubbed my arm. "You looked so peaceful. I would've let you keep sleeping, but there are only two minutes left in the third period. I figured since you came over to watch the game, you should at least see the end of it."

I looked up at the TV. The Blues were winning three to one. "You woke me up knowing that my guys were going to win and I was going to rub it in your face? That's so sweet." I smiled playfully, crinkling my nose.

"This just means I get to impress you with my cooking skills," he joked as the game ended, and the Blues were officially announced as the winner.

"I look forward to it." I pulled myself from his arms. "I should probably get home before I fall asleep on your couch again."

"I wouldn't mind if you fell asleep on my couch again." He raised his eyebrows and smiled, but I knew he wasn't trying to push anything. But as much as I liked the idea of waking up in his house, I knew it wouldn't be right.

"Jack Thornton! What would Rosie think? I don't think either of us is prepared for the line of questioning that we'd face if she found out I stayed the night." I stood up. "Besides, I need to let Bronte out before bed."

"Okay." He reached out and took my hand. "At least let me walk you home."

We stood on his porch. "Jack, I live fifty feet away."

"Fine." He pulled me into a hug. "But you can't stop me from staying right here until I see you get safely inside." He kissed my hair.

"Good night, Jack. See you tomorrow?"

He nodded. "Good night, Elizabeth. I love you." He leaned in and kissed me softly.

When I reached my porch, I turned back toward his house. He still stood outside his front door. I waved before I unlocked my front door and went inside for the night.

...

I let myself into Jack's house and found him in the kitchen. I laughed. "I was joking about the apron, Jack."

He stood at the stove, dressed in jeans and a button-down shirt—and a frilly apron. A smile spread across his face. "What? You don't like it?"

I reached out and touched the dimple on his cheek, smiling back at him. "Where did you even get it?"

He shrugged. "I can't give away all my secrets."

"You borrowed it from Rosemary, didn't you?"

He winked and turned his attention back to the stove. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes."

I sat down at the breakfast bar. "It smells delicious."

He was quiet as he finished preparing our meal. I couldn't help but think about how adorable he looked, so focused and serious, but still wearing the frilly apron.

"Oh, I brought dessert." I stood and motioned toward the pan that I had placed on the countertop.

"Elizabeth, I promised I would cook tonight."

I shrugged. "Our bet was just for dinner. We never specified who was in charge of dessert. Plus, it's gooey butter cake, and we both know you can't turn that down."

"Well, if that's the case," he left the stove and stood in front of me, "I guess I can't be too upset." He put his hands on my arms and pulled me in with a kiss.

"Mm, Jack?"

"Hmm?" He brushed his lips against my cheek before finding my lips again.

"The food," I mumbled.

"What?" His arms wrapped around my waist.

"The food is going to burn."

"Oh gosh." He moved back to the stove, pulling the pan from the burner. He glanced over at me. "We will get back to _that_ later."

He winked, and I felt my face get hot.

A few minutes later, Jack brought two plates of chicken and vegetables to the table.

"Mm, this looks amazing, Jack."

He pulled out a chair for me. "I told you I was going to impress you with my cooking skills," he joked.

"Well, color me impressed."

"You haven't even tasted it yet."

I took a small bite. "Okay, I'm still impressed. This is delicious."

He gave me a wide smile. "I'm glad you like it."

...

After dinner, we sat on the couch, watching a movie. Our empty dessert plates and wine glasses sat on the coffee table.

"Jack, thank you for the past couple of weeks. Thank you for showing me that we're worth it."

He smiled and intertwined his fingers in mine. "I would do anything for you, Elizabeth. I can't imagine my life without you in it."

I squeezed his hand. "I love you."

He leaned in and kissed me gently, moving his hand to my face. "I love you, too." He brushed his thumb along my cheek before meeting my lips again, a little less gently.

"Mm, Jack?"

His hands were on my waist, his lips on my neck.

"Jack, we need to stop."

He let out a breath and pulled away from me. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I didn't mean to push things."

"It's not just you. I was pushing things, too. We just need to be more careful."

He nodded in agreement.

"I should probably get home." I stood and moved toward the door. "See you tomorrow?"

He kissed my cheek. "I'll come over after work. Say hi to everyone for me."

"Okay. Good night."

He stayed on his porch until he saw me enter my house. As I lay in bed, I couldn't help but hope that, someday soon, I would be lying beside him.

...

Abigail sat beside me in the pew, with Cody and Becky sitting on the other side of her. "No Jack this morning?"

"He's working an early shift today."

"How was your weekend away with him?"

The corners of my mouth raised. "It was so fun. Jack and Lee did a wonderful job planning it."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. You know, I thought Jack might've taken the opportunity to ask you something…" She smiled mischievously.

"You mean like a proposal?" My eyes grew wide. "No, no. We need a little more time before we take that step, especially with everything that happened between us last month."

"But you think you're headed in that direction?"

I nodded, smiling timidly. "Yeah, I think we are. You know, part of the reason I decided I needed a break was because I felt like we were moving too quickly."

"And now?"

"Now I find myself hoping he doesn't wait too long to ask. Like I said, I do think we need to take a little time, but I can honestly say that my answer will be yes, regardless of how long it takes him to ask."

"I'm so happy for you, Elizabeth. I think you've been really good for each other."

Before I could respond, the pastor stepped to the front of the church to begin the service.

After church, we all met up at the café, just like we always did. Although I missed having Jack there with me, it was nice to catch up with everyone. Between my week away and all the time I had been spending with Jack, I had seen very little of my friends.

I felt like I had missed so much in just a few weeks. We all ended up talking for a few hours, losing track of the time. I _almost_ forgot that I had plans with Jack later that afternoon.

Almost.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N Thanks again for all the kind reviews! I'm really loving writing this story, and I'm glad you guys seem to be enjoying it.

Anyways, back to the story!

...

Jack pulled into his driveway just a few minutes after I had arrived home from the café. There was a knock at my door a couple of minutes later.

"Hi, Beth." He kissed my cheek before he stepped into the house. "You look beautiful, but I feel underdressed." He had changed out of his uniform and into shorts and a T-shirt.

I smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "I just got home from Abigail's. I haven't had the chance to change out of my church clothes yet."

"Well, you look great."

"Take one last look, because I'm about to go put on something comfortable." I did a little twirl, and he laughed.

A few minutes later, I came down the stairs, having changed into more comfortable clothes.

Jack looked up from where he was sitting on the sofa. "You still look great."

"Are you flirting with me, Jack Thornton?"

"Maybe." He took my hand and pulled me down beside him. He leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. "Mm, I missed you."

"You just saw me last night."

"I know." He kissed my cheek. "I still missed you."

I linked my arms behind his neck. "I guess we'll just have to quit our jobs so we can spend all our time together."

"I know you're kidding, but that sounds wonderful." He sighed contentedly, and I assumed he was imagining what it would be like to be together all the time.

"You wouldn't get tired of me?"

"Never." He met my eyes and grinned, showing off his dimples.

I kissed him. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He put his arm around my waist, pulling me closer. He kissed the top of my head. "So your birthday's coming up?"

I nodded. "In a few weeks. Right after all my finals are done, so I'll be free for whatever it is that you're planning." I scrunched my nose and smiled.

He raised his eyebrows. "Who's to say I'm planning something?"

"I'm kidding, Jack. You don't need to plan anything special. I'd be happy just sitting and watching a movie with you or something."

"So basically the same thing we're doing right now? The same thing we always do?"

I shrugged. "I like just sitting and watching movies with you."

"We're going to do something a little more special than staying home and watching a movie. Don't worry, you'll like it."

"If it involves spending time with you, I'll love it." I tucked my head beneath his chin.

He slowly moved his hand up and down on my back, and I leaned into him further. I closed my eyes, feeling so comfortable in his arms. I felt myself begin to doze off.

"Mm, I wish we could stay right here forever," I said sleepily.

He touched his lips to my forehead. "Okay."

...

A few weeks later, I was awakened early in the morning by a knock at my door. I pulled on a robe and followed Bronte down the stairs.

"Jack? What are you doing here so early?" I rubbed the sleep from my eyes.

"I have to go out of town for work, and I wanted to see you before I had to leave." He suddenly seemed to register that I was still in my pajamas and had just gotten out of bed. "Oh, I'm sorry, Elizabeth. Did I wake you?"

"Yes, but it's fine, Jack. Come in." I stepped to the side so he could get into the house.

He sat quietly on the sofa. I leaned my head on his shoulder, and he slid his arm around me. We sat in silence for a few moments before I spoke again.

"So, you're leaving?"

"Just for a few days." He kissed my hair. "But I'll miss your birthday."

"Will you call me while you're gone?" I was disappointed that I wouldn't get to spend my birthday with him, but I didn't want to let him know that.

"I'll try. I'll probably be out of cell range most of the time, but I'll call as often as I can."

"I'll miss you."

His arm tightened around me. "I'll miss you, too." He sighed, burying his face in my hair. "I need to get going."

We stood by the front door, his arms linked behind my back, my hands on his chest.

"Jack, please be safe."

"I will." He kissed me; it was gentle and sweet. "I love you, Elizabeth. I'll see you in a few days."

"I love you, too."

...

After work, I arrived home to a small package on my front porch. My name was on it, but there was no return address on it, and I wasn't expecting any deliveries. I greeted Bronte as I walked through the door, still trying to figure out where the package came from. I nearly tripped over Rip as I walked through the living room; I had offered to keep him at my house while Jack was away.

I made my way to my room and carefully opened the package, revealing a beautiful copy of _Jane Eyre_. When I opened the front cover, a note fell into my lap.

 _Elizabeth,_

 _In the very first conversation we had, you told me that this is your favorite book. I'm sure you already have a copy of it, but can you really ever have too many copies of your favorite book? I hope you don't mind, but I read through this copy—I had never read it before. I really enjoyed it, and I even left some notes in the margins for you._

 _I was going to give this to you on your birthday, but, as I let you know this morning, I was called away for work for a few days. I promise to celebrate with you when I get back. Happy early birthday, Beth. I'll see you soon._

 _I love you._

 _Yours forever,_

 _Jack_

I grabbed my phone from my nightstand, hoping he would answer.

"Hi."

I smiled at the sound of his voice. "Hi. I know you said that you would be the one to call me, but I just wanted to thank you for the gift."

"You got it?" I could hear the excitement in his voice.

"I did. It's amazing." I sighed contentedly. "You're amazing, Jack."

" _You're_ amazing, Beth."

I was thankful he couldn't see the color fill my cheeks. "I know I just saw you this morning, but I already miss you."

"I miss you, too." There was a hint of sadness in his voice. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth, but they're calling me into a meeting."

"Okay, I'll see you soon. Be safe, Jack."

"I will. I love you, Elizabeth."

"I love you, too."

I settled back into the bed and flipped through the book. Bronte lay at my feet. I felt the corners of my lips turn up into a smile as I read some of the notes Jack had written on the slightly-worn pages.

It was one of the most thoughtful gifts I had ever received.

...

Abigail approached the table, clearly surprised to see me sitting alone with Rosemary. I had been awakened that morning by Rosemary knocking on my door, insisting that I let her take me to breakfast to celebrate my birthday. Abigail had opened the café before church just for us.

"No Jack today?" She filled our mugs with coffee.

I shook my head. "He had to go out of town for a few days for work."

"That's a shame. I know you were probably looking forward to spending your birthday with him."

I smiled sadly. "Yeah. Luckily I have good friends like you two so I don't have to spend the day alone."

She put her hand on my shoulder. "I'm going to make you a special breakfast."

"Thank you, Abigail."

I looked out the window after she stepped away. I wondered what Jack was doing. I hadn't heard from him since three days prior when I called to thank him for the gift. He hadn't given me many details about the work he was helping with; he just said it was in a small town a few hours away and would take a few days, maybe a week.

"Elizabeth?" Rosemary's voice shook me from my thoughts. "Are you thinking about Jack?"

I nodded. "I know he's only been gone for a couple of days, but I miss him. I really miss him. It's hard to believe I've only known him for a few months."

"You really like him."

"I love him." I blinked away the tears that had begun to form.

She reached over and squeezed my hand. "He'll be back, Elizabeth."

"I know. It's just hard not knowing if he's okay. He didn't tell me what kind of work he's helping with, so that makes me think there might be some risk involved." I sighed. "It'd be a lot easier if he could contact me regularly."

"He'll be okay. You'll be okay. He didn't want me to tell you, but he was actually planning to bring you here this morning. When he found out he was going out of town, he asked me if I could come with you instead."

"Really?"

She nodded. "That man loves you so much."

"He really thinks of everything." I smiled.

She took a sip from her mug. "Wow, I can't wait until I can drink regular coffee again. Decaf just isn't the same." She rested her hand on her stomach.

"How is the little one?"

"She's good." She quickly threw her hand over her mouth. "Shoot, we weren't going to tell anyone. We found out at the last appointment."

"So it's a girl?" I whispered the question, even though we were the only people in the room.

She nodded and smiled. "Please don't tell anyone."

"That's so exciting, Rosie."

Abigail approached the table carrying our food. She placed a plate of chocolate chip pancakes in front of me.

"I put some extra whipped cream on them today."

I smiled. "You know me so well." I stopped her as she started to walk away. "Abigail, why don't you join us?"

"Thank you for the offer, but I need to head home and make sure Cody and Becky are ready for church. I'll be back to close things up before service, but don't feel rushed."

"Okay. Thank you, Abigail. I guess we'll see you in a little while."

...

My phone buzzed, and I couldn't help but grin when I saw who was calling.

"Hi."

"Hi, Elizabeth. I'm sorry for calling so late."

"No, don't apologize. I was still awake." I headed up to my room. "I'm just so happy to hear your voice." I sat on the bed and leaned back against the headboard.

"I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday."

"Thank you, Jack."

"Did you have a good day?"

"Yes." I pulled a blanket over my legs. "It's even better now that I'm getting to talk to you." I sighed. "I can't wait to see you again."

"Just a few more days. I should be home Wednesday."

"That feels so far away."

"It'll go faster than you think."

"I guess." I leaned my head on my hand. "Oh, thank you for planning breakfast at Abigail's this morning."

He let out a small laugh. "Rosemary really can't keep a secret, can she?"

"She means well. Speaking of Rosemary and secrets…" I let my voice trail off.

"Yes…?" I could tell I had piqued his interest.

"I really shouldn't tell you. I promised I wouldn't say anything, and she didn't even intend to tell me. It just slipped out."

"Well, now you have to tell me, or it'll drive me crazy."

I let out a breath. "Okay, but you can't let her or Lee know that I told you."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

"They're having a girl."

"That's exciting."

I smiled, picturing Jack holding a little baby girl. Whether the baby in my fantasy belonged to Rosemary and Lee or me and Jack, I didn't know. Butterflies rose in my stomach at the image.

"Are you still there?" His voice shook me from my thoughts.

I felt a blush rise in my cheeks. "Yes. Sorry. I was just thinking." I prayed that he wouldn't ask for more details about what was going on in my mind.

"Oh, before I forget: cancel any plans you have this Saturday."

"That's cute." I smirked even though I knew he couldn't see me.

"What's cute?"

"That you think I have plans to cancel."

"Well, just keep your schedule clear. I have a little belated birthday celebration planned."

"Now I'm intrigued. Any hints?"

He laughed. "Did you not learn anything from our weekend trip? I'm not telling you anything. You just have to be patient."

"You should know by now that patience is not my strong suit."

"It'll be worth it, I promise."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever you say."

"I should probably let you get to bed. It's late, and I know you have to work tomorrow."

"I don't want to hang up." I turned onto my side.

"Elizabeth, you're going to be exhausted."

"So I'll be exhausted." I sighed. "Please, let's just talk for a little while longer."

"Okay. Only because it's your birthday." I could hear the smile in his voice.

We ended up talking for hours. We didn't know if he would be able to call again before he came home, so we took advantage of the time we had. I finally fell asleep well after midnight, before we even hung up.


	10. Chapter 10

After work on Wednesday afternoon, I sat on Jack's front porch, waiting for him to return home. I flipped through the copy of _Jane Eyre_ that he had given me, trying to keep my mind occupied until he arrived.

Only twenty minutes passed before I saw his car turn onto the street. I stood up, a smile spreading across my face.

I ran to him the second he stepped out of his car. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me in with a kiss.

"I missed you so much." Tears stung my eyes.

"I missed you, too." He put his hands on either side of my face and kissed me again. He wiped the tears from my cheeks. "Hey, what's going on?"

I shook my head. "Nothing. I'm just so happy to see you. I love you, Jack."

"I love you, too, Beth. So much." He took my hand and led me into his house.

I leaned back against the door, and he kissed me again. I felt my hands grab his shirt, pulling him closer to me. His hands tangled in my hair. After a moment, he stepped back, taking my hands in his.

"Wow, I should go away more often if that's going to be the kind of greeting that I'll get when I come home."

"Jack Thornton, don't even joke about that. I don't like when you're gone."

He kissed my forehead. "Sorry." He put his arms around me, holding me against his chest. "But you know, I will have to go away occasionally. It's just part of my job."

"I know. I don't want to talk about it, though."

He put his hand on my cheek. "Let me go grab my bag from the car, and then we can hang out here for the rest of the evening if you want."

"Rip is still at my house."

"Then how about I meet you over there after I unpack my things?"

I nodded. "Okay." I grabbed the book I left on his porch on the way over to my house.

He came in ten minutes later, just as I was coming down the stairs. Bronte ran over to him, nearly knocking him to the ground in her excitement.

"Hi, Bee." He patted the top of her head.

I smiled, loving that he had picked up my nickname for her.

Rip looked up from his spot on the floor beside the sofa. He wagged his tail slowly before deciding to waddle over to Jack.

"Hey, buddy. Did you miss me?" He knelt down, stroking the dog's head. He glanced up, meeting my eyes, a grin covering his face. "Thank you for watching him."

"Anything for you."

He approached me, pulling me into his arms. "Hi again." He kissed me gently.

"Hi." My voice was soft and shaky. I was surprised at the nervousness that seemed to overtake me. Butterflies rose in my stomach. I took a step back and cleared my throat. "So, um, we can watch TV if you want. Or I'm sure we could find a movie to watch."

"Hey, are you okay?" He seemed to sense that I was feeling nervous.

I nodded. "Just feeling a little off. I'm fine. It's just one of those days."

"I can go home if you want me to."

I put my hands on his arms. "Don't you dare leave."

He led me to the sofa. He left some space between us but kept one hand on my leg. I eventually found myself leaning into him, closing the gap between us.

We didn't really pay attention to anything on the TV. Instead, we talked quietly, making up for the time we had been apart. He kept one hand on me the entire evening—on my hand, on my leg, on my back—even while we ate dinner. I hadn't realized how much I missed his touch.

He roused me from sleep a few hours later. The sun had already set; the light of the half moon cast a dim glow into the room.

"Elizabeth, we need to get you to bed." He helped me up, keeping his arm around my waist as he walked me up the stairs.

I barely registered what was happening as he pulled back the comforter and tucked me into the bed.

"Good night, Elizabeth."

"Stay with me." I reached one hand toward him.

He took it and leaned forward, kissing me softly. "I want to stay, believe me, but I have to be at work early in the morning. I'll see you tomorrow."

I didn't have the energy to convince him that he could still stay over.

"I love you."

"I love you, too." He kissed me one more time before leaving the room.

I heard the clicking of paws across the floor as he took Rip back home with him. It was only a few minutes after I heard the front door lock before sleep found me.

...

I smiled when I saw Jack's name pop up on my phone. "Hi."

"Hi. Have you left work yet?"

It was Friday, so I had stayed a bit longer at the school to finish things up before the weekend. "Not yet, but I'm about to. Why?" I grabbed my purse from my desk and headed toward the parking lot.

"Um, my mom is in town."

I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. "What?"

"My mother decided to show up at my house unannounced." He didn't sound too pleased. "She wants to meet you."

"Jack, I'm not prepared for that. We haven't even discussed meeting each other's parents."

"I know, and I'm sorry. I really had no idea she was coming to visit." He sighed. "Why don't you come over around six, and we can all have dinner together?"

"Should I bring anything? Should I dress up? I'm not ready for this."

"Hey, take a deep breath." He waited until he heard me exhale. "You will be fine, Elizabeth. She's going to love you. And no, you don't need to dress up or bring anything."

"Okay. So I guess I'll see you at six."

"I love you, Elizabeth."

"I love you, too."

I don't remember how I made it home, my mind was so focused on the prospect of meeting Jack's mother. My level of nervousness crept higher when I saw her car in his driveway.

Just before six, I stood on his front porch, dressed in a sundress and sandals. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

He was there almost immediately.

"Hi." He kissed my cheek. "You look beautiful."

I held out the pan I had brought over. "I made gooey butter cake."

"I told you not to bring anything."

"I know, but I'm about to meet your mom. It felt weird coming over empty-handed."

"Jack? Is that her?" Jack's mother called from the living room.

"Yes, mom! We'll be right in." He took the pan from me. "Come on. Let's go."

I took his free hand and followed him into the house. He set the pan on the counter before we went into the living room. His mother stood from her spot on the sofa.

"You must be Lizzy." She held out her hand.

"It's Elizabeth, mom," Jack mumbled under his breath.

"It's fine, Jack." I turned back to his mother. "You can call me Lizzy, if you want." I shook her hand.

"Well, _Lizzy_ ," She turned toward Jack, a smug look on her face. "I'm Charlotte."

"It's nice to meet you."

Jack cleared his throat. "I'm going to check on dinner."

I glanced over at him, a look of distress plastered across my face.

He leaned in, brushing his lips against my cheek. "You'll be fine. I love you." He squeezed my hand, reassuring me before he left the room.

I took a deep breath, unsure of what to say now that I was alone with his mother.

"So, Jack tells me you're from St. Louis?"

I nodded. "Born and raised. I lived there until about two years ago, when I moved here."

"What brought you here?"

"I just wanted to be somewhere different, and Hope Valley just felt right."

She moved back to the sofa and ushered me over. I hesitantly sat beside her.

"You and Jack seem to be really close."

"We are." I smiled timidly. "You raised a really good man."

"Well, thank you."

Jack came back into the room. "What are you talking about in here?" He put his hand on my shoulder.

"You."

"No embarrassing stories, right?" He shot his mom a look.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't tell embarrassing stories." She smiled mischievously.

"Well anyway, dinner is ready."

The rest of the evening went well. With Jack beside me, my nerves melted away. Charlotte was so welcoming and sweet. Though she asked lots of questions about my life, she steered clear of anything that could be construed as too personal. At the end of the night, she hugged me goodbye before Jack walked me home.

"I'm sorry again about tonight."

"It's okay, Jack. I actually really enjoyed it. Your mom is great."

"Good." He put his hands on my shoulders. "I'll be over in the morning to pick you up for your super secret birthday celebration."

"But your mom…"

He kissed my cheek. "I already told her we've had these plans for a while. I'll just have to make sure I spend lots of time with her Sunday."

"Okay. You should get back home before she wonders what's taking you so long."

"Good night." He leaned down and kissed me gently. "I love you."

"I love you, too. See you in the morning."

...

The next day, we pulled up in front of a barn. "Um, Jack? What are we doing?"

"This is what I wanted to do for your birthday before I was called out of town. I thought we'd go for a ride."

"Like on horses?"

He opened the car door for me. "Yes. Well, technically just on one horse. It's cozier that way."

He winked at me, and I rolled my eyes.

He put his arm around me and pulled me close to him. We walked into the barn and stopped in front of a stall that held a beautiful black gelding. "This is Sergeant."

I watched as Jack saddled the horse. "Since when do you ride horses?"

He shrugged. "My dad was a Mountie up in Vancouver. I know they drive cars most of the time now, but he liked the nostalgia of riding horses, so he taught me and my brother to ride. Sergeant was a gift from my mom for my college graduation."

"So there's more to learn about you yet."

He laughed and lifted me onto the horse. He hopped up behind me, guiding my hands to the reigns. "Okay, gently tap his sides with your heels."

I did what he said, and the horse started forward. "Where are we going on this ride?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

We were both quiet on the ride, enjoying the feeling of being so close to each other. Eventually, we reached a small meadow, and Jack brought the horse to a stop. The clouds that had filled the sky earlier in the day began to clear out. Wildflowers dotted the ground, breaking up the green with pops of yellow and red.

"Jack, it's beautiful out here."

He helped me down from the horse. "You're beautiful."

"Jack…" I blushed.

He touched my cheek. "I love you, Elizabeth Thatcher."

I smiled and wrapped my arms around his waist. "I love you, too."

He leaned in and kissed me softly. My whole body grew warm at his touch. I leaned into him, resting my head on his shoulder. He linked his arms behind my back. I sighed, perfectly content to be in his arms.

He kissed my temple. "Dance with me, Elizabeth."

I giggled, his breath tickling my ear. "Right here? There's no music."

He started swaying back and forth, meeting my eyes. "We don't need any music. Just each other."

I leaned my head against his chest as we slowly turned in circles, moving to the beat of his heart.

I didn't know how long we stayed like that; we were just so comfortable in each other's arms. I felt like I could stay there forever.

"Elizabeth?" He slowed his movement.

"Yes?" My breath caught in my throat. I couldn't help but think that he might be about to ask me an important question.

"Are you hungry?"

I laughed softly.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing." I felt my cheeks warm. "That just wasn't the question I expected." My voice was soft.

He grinned, touching his hand to my cheek. He gave me a gentle kiss. "Let's eat."

We spent a few more hours in the meadow, eating lunch and talking. After we ate, we lay beside each other on the picnic blanket, watching puffy white clouds roll across the sky.

Eventually we left the meadow, taking a long ride on Sergeant before heading back to the barn.

Later that evening, we stood on my front porch, arms around each other. "Thank you for today, Jack. That was one of the best days I've had in a while."

He leaned in and kissed me. "I don't want this day to end."

"Neither do I. Do you want to come in for a cup of coffee?"

"Yes." He kissed me again. "But if I go in, I'm not going to want to leave. Besides, my mom is probably up waiting for me, and Lord knows what she'll think if I get in late."

"See you tomorrow?"

He nodded and brushed his lips against my cheek. "Good night, Elizabeth. I love you."

"I love you, too."

"By the way," his voice was barely above a whisper, "the question you thought I was going to ask earlier?" He leaned in, his face just inches from mine. "I am going to ask it." He squeezed my hand before he walked away, not giving me a chance to respond.

I watched him as he crossed the yard to his house, butterflies filling my stomach. When I saw him in the café all those weeks ago, I never thought that I would grow so close to him or fall in love with him or make plans to marry him. I was so thankful that my life hadn't gone the way I expected.


	11. Chapter 11

I turned sideways on the sofa, one leg tucked beneath me. "Jack, I think it's time for you to meet my parents."

By his reaction, I could tell that he hadn't expected me to say that. "What?"

"I've met your mom, so now it's your turn to meet my parents."

He cleared his throat. "Uh, okay. When were you thinking?"

"Maybe in June? School isn't out until the very end of this month, but I think you should meet them sooner rather than later."

"I'll check my schedule." He squeezed my hand.

My phone buzzed. "Or maybe you can meet them now."

"Um, what?"

I accepted the call, and my mother's face appeared on the screen.

"Hi, honey."

"Hey, mom. What's going on? You don't usually call out of the blue like this."

"Nothing's really going on. I was just thinking about you, and I wanted to check in and see how everything is going."

"Everything is good here. I'm done with my grad classes for the summer, and there are just a few more weeks left of school."

"Are you planning to come visit this summer? I know you were just here a few months ago, but we'd all like to see you again."

"Actually, Jack and I were just talking about that." I put my hand on his leg. "We're thinking of heading up there sometime in June."

Her eyes widened. "Both of you?" She still seemed a little wary of him. After all, he was the man I ran from because I got scared.

"Yes. I want you and dad to meet him."

"So things are getting pretty serious with you two?"

I glanced over at Jack, a smile spreading across my face. "Yes. I'd say things are very serious."

He smiled back, seemingly very happy with my answer.

"Is he there with you right now?"

I nodded.

"Well, let me talk to him."

A look of panic crossed his face. I squeezed his hand reassuringly.

I turned my phone so he was also in the picture. "Mom, this is Jack Thornton. Jack, this is my mom, Grace Thatcher."

"So this is the famous Jack Thornton."

Jack blushed, laughing softly.

"Elizabeth has told us a lot about you. You seem to make her very happy."

He met my eyes. "She makes me very happy, too."

We spoke with her for another fifteen minutes before she excused herself to go meet my father for an early dinner. The call had gone really well, all things considered. She seemed to warm up to Jack. She asked him questions about his life and job. She didn't seem concerned to learn every little thing about him, as she knew she would be meeting him in person soon.

Jack had mentioned to me a few days before that he was planning to propose, but it felt even more real after we had talked with my mother. Things had been serious between us since very early on in our relationship, but there was something that changed once we brought our parents into it.

We sat in silence for a few moments after I hung up the phone. I leaned into him, letting myself relax into his arms.

"I'm sorry about that, Jack. I shouldn't have answered the phone. I shouldn't have sprung that on you."

He kissed my hair. "Don't apologize, Elizabeth. It actually makes me feel better about meeting your parents in person. I feel like I have a head start now."

"I love you, Jack." I intertwined my fingers in his.

"I love you, too."

He absentmindedly rubbed my fourth finger with his thumb. I couldn't help but think about how, someday soon, he would put a ring on that finger. I smiled, sinking deeper into his embrace.

...

On the last day of school, I stayed late to get my classroom cleaned up. I had called Jack earlier in the day to let him know. I could hear a little disappointment in his voice, though I wasn't sure why; it wasn't as though we had any special plans for the evening that I would be missing.

He was in my kitchen when I arrived home. "Hi."

I smiled, thankful that we had decided to exchange house keys. I loved coming home to him.

"Hi." I stepped up behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist and leaning my head on his shoulder. "Sorry I'm so late."

"It's fine. I thought I'd make you some dinner since you had a long day."

"Thank you, Jack. That's so sweet."

He turned to face me and kissed my cheek. "It's almost done, so you can go ahead and sit down if you want."

I watched him from my seat as he moved around the kitchen. I laughed quietly.

"What?"

"That apron." He still liked to wear frilly aprons when he cooked, just because he knew I found it hilarious.

He turned to face me, a grin covering his face. "It's a new one. Do you like it?"

"Oh, you're expanding the collection now?"

"Well, I have to change it up every now and then. Keep you on your toes." He smirked.

He brought two plates of food to the table and poured two glasses of wine. He took off the apron before sitting across from me.

"What's the occasion, Jack?"

"It's officially summer break for you. I'd say that's worth celebrating." He lifted his glass. "To the best summer ever."

...

After dinner, we sat on the swing on the back porch, silently watching the sun descend in the sky. My legs were tucked up beneath me, my head resting on his shoulder. I listened to his slow, even breathing.

Suddenly, he stood up.

"Elizabeth," he held out one hand, "take a walk with me."

I let him lead me from the porch. "Where are we going?"

"You'll find out soon enough." He gave me a knowing smile.

He was quiet as we walked into the front yard and down the street. I wondered what he was thinking, what he was planning. His apparent nervousness made butterflies rise in my stomach; I had never seen him act this way. I was hesitant to assume anything, because I had been wrong before.

We turned at the end of the street, heading away from the neighborhood. Where was he taking me? I heard a creek rushing past in the distance. The trees began to thin, and I noticed a flickering of lights in the distance.

Jack slowed his pace, and I assumed we were nearing our destination. We reached a clearing and stopped. I gasped. There were candles everywhere, flickering in the dim light of the setting sun.

"Jack…" I was at a loss for words.

He moved to the center of the clearing and held out his hand. I stood frozen in place. I had a vague idea of what was happening—especially since he had told me weeks before that he was planning it—but I couldn't quite get my mind to wrap around it in the moment.

Jack cleared his throat. "Elizabeth." His voice shook me from my thoughts. I stepped toward him. He took my hand but didn't close the distance between us. "Elizabeth, I need to talk to you about something."

"Okay…" I felt butterflies fill my stomach.

"I love you, Elizabeth Thatcher, so much more than I ever thought I could love someone, and I want to be able to tell you that every day for the rest of our lives." He dropped to one knee and pulled a small box from his pocket, opening it to reveal a diamond ring. "Will you marry me?"

I barely let him finish the question before I responded. "Of course, I will. Yes." My voice was thick with tears.

He returned to his feet and pulled me in with a kiss. "I love you." He slid the ring onto my left hand.

"I love you, Jack."

He wiped the tears from my cheeks and kissed me again. "You make me so happy."

I slid my arms around his neck. "Dance with me."

He moved his hands to my waist, and we slowly turned in circles. The sun had set, and we were left in the flickering light of the candles. As we danced, he slipped his hands down to my hips, sending heat throughout my body.

He lowered his lips to mine. "I can't wait to marry you."

...

When we turned onto our street, I noticed a car parked in front of Jack's house. Lights blazed in the windows. "Jack, what's going on at your house?"

He laughed and sighed. "I told them not to make a big deal out of this."

"Rosemary."

He nodded. "And Lee and Abigail. They insisted. I promise I won't let them stay long."

"Jack, it's fine. They're happy for us. I'm happy for us." I squeezed his hand. "Let's go celebrate."

He put his hand on the doorknob and took a deep breath. "Let's do this."

Rosemary and Abigail immediately rushed over to me, pulling me into a hug and away from Jack.

"Congratulations, Elizabeth!"

Rosemary grabbed my left hand. "Let's see the ring." She gasped. "Oh, it's beautiful. I'm so happy for you, for both of you."

Lee brought out a bottle of champagne. "Come on, we need to celebrate."

Though all three of them had helped Jack with the proposal, they wanted to know every detail. By the time I finished telling them how it all happened, my face hurt from smiling so much.

I couldn't remember a time in my life when I had been happier than I was at that moment, surrounded by friends and with my very best friend and fiancé by my side.

...

I twisted the ring on my finger. "Jack, how long had you been planning this?"

"Pretty much since the day I met you." He slid his arm around my shoulders.

"Seriously?" I raised my eyebrows.

He shrugged. "I knew after that first dinner with Rosemary and Lee that you were the one." He took my hand in his, rubbing his thumb along the ring. "I won't tell you how long I've had that ring."

"A long time, huh?"

"I would've asked you sooner, but I wanted to wait until I met your parents. Clearly my impatience won out there." He brushed my fingers against his lips. "I did call them, though."

"What?"

"I _may_ have borrowed your phone the other day so I could call them and let them know I was going to ask you."

"Really?"

He nodded. "It was important to me, and I knew it was important to you, too. I didn't tell them when I was going to ask, just that it would be soon. So it will still be a little bit of a surprise when you tell them."

"Jack Thornton, you are amazing." I kissed him deeply.

He pulled me into his chest, kissing my hair. "It's getting late. I should probably get you home."

"I don't want to leave."

"You can stay if you want."

I sighed. "I need to go. Bronte needs to go out before bed."

"Okay." He kissed my temple. He walked with me across the yard and to my front door. "Just think, pretty soon, we won't have to leave each other at the end of the night."

I held up my hand, looking at the ring on my finger. "I can't wait."

"I love you, Elizabeth." He kissed me softly. "My fiancée."

I grinned. "I love the sound of that, _fiancé_."

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good night, Jack. I love you."

...

"Jack, can you come over?"

"Right now?" He sounded tired. "Are you okay?"

"I just don't like being alone during storms." I jumped as thunder crashed outside.

"I'll be right over."

He let himself into my house a few minutes later, dripping wet and with a bag slung across his back. He carried Rip in his arms. Bronte ran over, excited to see her friends.

I handed him a towel. "Thank you for coming over so late. I'm sorry if I woke you. I know you had a long day at work."

He shook his head. "I don't mind being woken up if it means I get to see my beautiful fiancée." He leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. "I love you. I'm going to go change into something dry. I'll be right back." He kissed my temple before he walked away.

I curled up on the sofa while I waited for him, pulling a blanket over myself. Rip had found his spot beside the sofa and was already asleep.

"So you're not a fan of storms, eh?" He sat next to me, putting one arm across my shoulders.

I shook my head, burying my face in his chest as a loud clap of thunder sounded outside. The storm was close.

"I've lived in the Midwest my entire life, but I will never get used to tornado season."

"These storms make me nervous, too." He kissed my hair. "We'll wait this out together."

Just after he spoke, the sirens started up.

"Do you take shelter in the bathroom?"

I nodded, shivering. He kept his arm around my waist while we stepped into the small room, coaxing the dogs behind us.

He held me tightly as we sat against the wall. Rip immediately fell back to sleep, and Bronte curled up at my feet. Neither of us spoke; we just listened to the sirens wailing and the wind howling.

With Jack beside me, I was finally able to relax.

When I woke, the sun was just starting to rise. At some point in the night, we must have moved back to the living room, because I found myself lying on the sofa. Jack's arm was draped around my waist, my back pressed against his chest.

He breathed deeply and tightened his arm around me. I smiled and looked down at the ring on my finger, thinking about all the nights I would get to spend in his arms.

He kissed my cheek. "Good morning."

"Morning." I turned my body to face him and sighed contentedly. "Thank you for coming over last night, and thank you for staying with me."

"Always." He kissed me softly. "Unfortunately, a big storm like that means I'll have a busy day at work today. I can't stay much longer."

I brought my hand to his cheek. "Can you at least stay for breakfast?"

"Yes, but if I'm late, I'm telling everyone it's your fault." He smirked.

"Fair enough. I'll take the blame if it means I get a few extra minutes with you."

...

My heart dropped as I listened to the voice on the other end of the phone. I sank to the floor as my knees grew weak and my vision went blurry with tears. Bronte sensed that something was wrong and sat beside me, licking my face. I eased myself up and quickly pulled shoes on before running next door.

I knocked impatiently on the front door.

"Elizabeth? What's wrong?"

I barely got the words out through the sobs caught in my throat. "It's Jack."

...

A/N Sorry about the ending of this chapter! Honestly, I just really love writing cliffhangers. I will try to get the next chapter up ASAP!


	12. Chapter 12

A/N Thanks again for all the reviews! It's good to know that you guys still enjoy reading this story even when I leave you with cliffhangers :)

Hopefully this chapter makes up for the ending of the last one!

...

Somehow, Rosemary got me into her car and to the hospital. She stayed in the waiting room while I followed a nurse to the room that held Jack.

Charlotte met me outside the room. She had been the one to call me and let me know that he was injured. She let me go in by myself, knowing that I probably wanted some time alone with him.

He had gone to help search for someone who had gone missing after the storm. They found Jack pinned beneath a beam and covered with rubble. He was unconscious, and no one knew how long he had been trapped.

I gasped when I saw him. He had scrapes and bruises covering his whole body. Bandages peeked out from the neckline of his hospital gown, and a cast enclosed his right leg.

"Jack…" my voice cracked. I lowered myself into the chair beside the bed and carefully took his hand. "Jack, I'm here."

I sat in the quiet, the silence only broken by the beeping of machines. I stared at his face, looking for any sign that he was waking up. The doctor said it would likely be at least a few more hours before he regained consciousness; he had sustained a head injury, and his brain needed time to heal. They were hopeful that Jack would wake up, but they didn't know how much permanent damage may have occurred.

I awakened early in the morning, the sun just barely peeking over the horizon. I was resting my head on the bed beside Jack. He hadn't moved since I fell asleep. I sat up and touched his cheek. "Jack, please. You have to get better."

I knew that I couldn't do anything to make him wake up quicker, but I was a little disappointed when he didn't stir at the sound of my voice. He looked so peaceful lying there, almost as if nothing had happened. Once he woke up, he would be hit with the pain of his injuries.

Charlotte spoke from behind me. I had almost forgotten she was there. "The doctor came by a little while ago. There's been no change."

I turned to face her, tears in my eyes. She reached out and took my hand.

"I have faith that he will be okay, Elizabeth. He's young, he's strong."

I nodded, brushing the tears from my cheeks.

Though I had had a restless night of sleep and my head throbbed, I was thinking much more clearly than when I first arrived at the hospital the evening before. I suddenly realized just how serious everything was. I could have lost him. Had he been discovered later or had the beam fallen just a few inches away… I couldn't even finish the thought.

I knew that his job could occasionally place him in dangerous situations, but he had never experienced anything like this in all the time that I knew him. Sure, he had been in serious situations, but he had never actually been hurt like this. When he had left for work the morning before, I never expected that he would be in harm's way.

The diamond on my finger caught my attention, briefly distracting me from the realities of the accident. Had it really only been a week since he took me to the meadow and asked me to marry him? He had to be okay.

Abigail stopped by and brought some food for me and Charlotte, knowing that we wouldn't have left Jack's side to eat.

The rest of the day passed with no change. The nurses were starting to look worried that Jack hadn't woken up yet. He hadn't even stirred since I arrived nearly 24 hours before.

Charlotte had gone to spend the night at Jack's house, needing some time away from the hospital. She offered to check in on Bronte and Rip, who were being watched by Rosemary and Lee until Jack and I returned home. I had promised to let Charlotte know if anything changed overnight.

The sun was fairly high in the sky when I woke the next morning. My hand was still grasping Jack's. There was a horrible crick in my neck from spending two nights in a hard hospital chair. I touched Jack's cheek. "Come on, Jack. Please wake up."

I felt his fingers tighten on my hand. I gasped.

"Jack? Can you hear me?"

His eyes squeezed tight with pain. "Beth." His voice sounded raw. "It hurts."

"Try not to move. I'll go get the doctor."

While the doctor checked him over, I called Charlotte to let her know that he had woken up.

I returned to the chair beside his bed as soon as the doctor left the room. "Your mom is on her way. She stayed at your house last night. You had us so worried."

"I'm sorry."

"Hey, don't apologize for doing your job. You couldn't have known what was going to happen."

"I love you. Thank you for being here." He gingerly held out his hand.

I linked my fingers in his. "I wouldn't dream of being anywhere else."

...

Jack stayed in the hospital for a couple more days. The doctors wanted to ensure that everything was healing properly before they allowed him to return home.

As far as anyone could tell, he hadn't sustained any permanent damage from his head injury. Given everything that had happened, he was doing very well. He would likely need to do some physical therapy once he got the cast off of his leg, but for now, he just needed to relax and let his body heal.

Charlotte dropped us off at Jack's house after he was discharged. She had decided to head back home now that she was certain that Jack would be okay. She assured me that she was more than comfortable leaving him in my care.

I let Jack lean on my shoulder as I helped him to his room. Though he was doing much better, the doctor had instructed him to stay in bed for a few days.

"Do you need anything? Water? A snack?"

"Elizabeth, I'm fine." He winced as he lowered himself onto the bed. "I wouldn't mind some company, though." He grinned and patted the spot beside him.

I curled up beside him. "Hey, I was thinking that it might be helpful for me to stay here for a few days." I took his hand. "In the guest room, of course."

He smirked at my clarification. "Okay. In the guest room."

"Would it be okay if I brought Bronte over here, too? I'm not sure how she'd do by herself overnight."

"Of course." He squeezed my hand.

I leaned in and kissed him. "I'm going to go pack a bag and get her. I'll be back soon."

"How's Jack?" Rosemary saw me from her porch as I stepped out of Jack's house. I went over to greet her.

"He's doing a lot better. The doctors want him to take it easy so I'm staying with him for a few days."

She raised her eyebrows. "A sleepover? That's unlike you."

I rolled my eyes. "Rosie, I'm staying in his guest room. I'm only there to help him out for a few days. He really shouldn't be getting up and walking around every time he needs something. Besides, this isn't the first time we've spent the night with each other…." My voice trailed off when I realized what I had just revealed.

"Elizabeth! What?!"

I shrugged. "It wasn't a big deal. Nothing happened, Rosie. I hate storms, so I asked him to come over. We fell asleep on the couch. There's nothing more to tell."

"Well, I'm glad to hear he's doing better. If either of you needs anything, Lee and I are here."

"Thank you." I hugged her. "I need to get back over there. I promised him I wouldn't be long."

I quickly packed an overnight bag and headed back to Jack's house with Bronte. I dropped my bag in the guest room before going to check on him.

"Sorry that took so long. I ran into Rosemary."

"How did that go?"

"Well…" I sat on the bed and leaned my head on his shoulder. "I told her I was staying here for a few days, and I _may_ have also mentioned that you stayed over at my house the other night."

He laughed quietly. "I bet she had a field day with that little bit of information."

"I told her that nothing happened and left it at that." I slipped my fingers between his.

He leaned in and kissed me. "Thank you for staying here."

...

"Elizabeth…" Jack groaned from his room, sounding a little panicked. "Elizabeth!"

I quietly made my way down the hall. "Jack?" He didn't acknowledge me, still asleep. "Jack." I nudged him gently.

He jerked awake and blinked a few times, confused. "Elizabeth?"

"Were you having a nightmare?"

He nodded, clearly still confused. I crawled into the bed beside him and put my arms around him. He touched my cheek. "How did you know?"

"You were saying my name. You sounded scared." I leaned my head on his shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?"

He sighed. "It was about the accident. It was like I was there again, trapped under that beam." He absentmindedly played with my hair while he spoke. "All I could think about was getting back to you."

"Jack…"

He kissed my cheek. "You know, I've been thinking."

"About?"

"The wedding. I think we should get married sooner." His thumb brushed the ring on my left hand.

"You know, I've been thinking the same thing."

He pulled me closer. "I guess we have a lot to talk about then."

I woke a few hours later, still curled up beside Jack. I kissed his cheek and slid from his arms, returning to the guest room.

It took me a long time to fall back to sleep. I thought about going back to Jack's room, but I didn't want to disturb him. Plus, I knew that I would only be at his house for a few days, and I didn't want to get in the habit of sharing a bed with him. There would be plenty of time for that after we got married.

When I woke in the morning, Bronte was curled up on the foot of the bed, snoring lightly. I quietly padded down the hall and peeked into Jack's room. He was still sleeping soundly. Rip lay on the floor beside him.

I headed out into the kitchen to make breakfast for us, trying to keep quiet so I wouldn't wake him.

Ten minutes later, I walked back to his room with a tray holding two plates of food and two glasses of water.

He was just waking up. He must've forgotten about his injuries for a moment, because he winced as he stretched.

"How did you sleep?"

"Just okay. I slept much better when you were in here with me."

I set the tray in front of him before finding my place beside him. "If we're being honest, I slept better in here, too."

He touched his hand to my cheek before meeting my lips with his. "You know, you don't have to stay in the guest room."

"Yes, I do." I took his hand. "If I get in the habit of sleeping in the same bed as you, it's going to be difficult when I go back home in a few days. Besides, we agreed not to spend all night in the same bed until we're married."

"You're right." He lifted my hand and brushed his lips against my fingers. "Just a few more months, though."

He suddenly gasped and dropped my hand.

"What?"

"We're supposed to be visiting your parents right now."

I put my hand on his leg. "Don't worry about that. I called them when you were in the hospital. They said they send their love and that we're welcome to come visit whenever you're feeling better."

"Okay. Good. We should go soon, though. Especially since we've moved the wedding up."

I leaned in and kissed him gently. "Thank you, Jack. It really means a lot that you care about things like meeting my parents."

"I care about everything having to do with you, Beth." He rested his hand against my cheek. "You are my entire world."

...

"Elizabeth!"

I quietly made my way to his room, expecting to find him in the throes of a nightmare once again. Instead, he was wide awake, waiting for me.

I leaned against the door frame. "Do you need something?"

He nodded. "I need you to come lay here with me."

"Jack…" I wanted nothing more than to curl up beside him, but I had been so adamant about staying in separate rooms.

"Please? I know we agreed that you would stay in the guest room, but I can't sleep."

"Fine." I sank down beside him. "But only until you fall asleep. Then I'm going back to the other room."

He kissed the top of my head and pulled me close. "Thank you."

I was confused when I woke, until I remembered that Jack had asked me to stay in his room. Apparently, I had fallen asleep before I had the chance to move back to the guest room.

My head was on his chest, his fingers moving slowly through my hair.

"Good morning. Looks like someone decided not to go back to the guest room last night." He smirked.

"It was not intentional." I pulled myself up to kiss him. I didn't want to admit that I had slept better beside him than I had in a long time. "We really can't make this a habit."

"I know." He brushed a piece of hair from my face. "Maybe we should just move the wedding up even more." He raised his eyebrows, looking at me expectantly.

"If we move it up anymore, we aren't going to be able to get everything done in time. Unless we just want to elope. But do you really want to start out our marriage with your leg in a cast?"

"That is a very good point. Besides, I don't think our families would be very happy with us if we eloped." He kissed my temple. "And can you imagine how upset Rosemary would be?"

I smiled. "As it is, she's probably going to freak out when she finds out the wedding is in less than three months."

He laughed. "Yes, she is."


	13. Chapter 13

"Three months?! That's not nearly enough time to plan a wedding, Elizabeth!"

I smiled. Rosemary's reaction to the wedding date was exactly what I had expected.

"It's plenty of time, Rosie. Honestly, I'd marry him tomorrow if we could put a wedding together by then."

"Why so soon? Is there something I need to know?" She put her hand on her stomach and raised her eyebrows.

"No no no. Nothing like that." I laughed softly, feeling my cheeks color. "It's just that, Jack's accident was a reminder of how quickly things can change. The more we talked, the more we decided we didn't want to wait. We actually even talked about eloping."

"Oh, no. You absolutely _cannot_ elope. I will not let that happen."

"Don't worry, we decided against eloping. We want a real wedding, with everyone there."

"Well, I guess we need to get busy with planning, then."

"Rosie." I put my hands on top of hers. "We don't want a big wedding. Just family and a few close friends, probably at the church. Besides, you don't need to be stressing about this, especially while you're pregnant." I motioned toward her stomach.

"I'm fine, Elizabeth. _We're_ fine." She rubbed her stomach.

"By the way, you'd better let that little girl know she's not allowed to come early. I know it's really close to your due date, but I need you at my wedding."

She smirked. "I have a feeling she'll come when she's good and ready, but I'll do my best to keep her in until after we get you and Jack down the aisle."

Abigail came over to refill our water glasses. "Hey, ladies. I didn't see you two come in." She looked at Rosemary. "How's little Coulter doing?"

She smiled as she touched her stomach. "Good. Sitting right on my bladder. Speaking of which…" She stood and excused herself to go to the bathroom.

Abigail slid into the spot Rosemary just vacated. "How's Jack doing?"

"He's good. He's moving around a lot better now."

"That's good to hear. And how are you? I'm sure the past few weeks haven't been the easiest for you."

"I'm doing well. It was definitely difficult when he was in the hospital, but I've really enjoyed staying with him the past few days. It's given us a lot of time to talk and plan."

"Wedding plans?" She raised her eyebrows.

I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. "We're getting married the first Friday in September. We'd really like you to be there, Abigail."

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it." She reached over and squeezed my hand. "I'm so happy for you, Elizabeth. And to think, you were so adamant that nothing was going to happen between you two."

I laughed. "Yeah, I'm glad I changed my mind."

...

Jack was sitting on the couch when I walked in, his leg propped up on a pillow on the coffee table.

"How'd she take it?"

I set down my bag and joined him on the sofa. "Exactly as well as we expected. I finally convinced her that she doesn't need to go overboard with planning."

"Wow, how did you manage to do that?"

I shrugged. "I just reminded her that she is supposed to keep her stress level down while she's pregnant."

He laughed quietly. "I bet she took that well."

"Um, speaking of, she may have asked if I was pregnant…"

His eyes widened. "Why on earth would she ask you that?"

I leaned my head against his shoulder. "She was just wondering if there was a reason why we want to get married so soon."

"And she immediately thought you must be pregnant?"

"I don't know how Rosemary's brain works." I laughed. "But, you know, it did get me thinking. We haven't even talked about that yet. Do you want to have kids?"

He took my hand, brushing his thumb against my fingers. "Yeah, I do."

"How soon?"

"Honestly? I'd be happy having kids right away. But if you want to wait a while, that's okay, too."

"I think-"

I was cut off when Bronte jumped onto the sofa, licking Jack's face. He laughed, pushing her away.

"Bee, get down." I shooed her from the couch and gave her a stern look. "I'm the only one who gets to kiss him." I smiled and pressed my lips to his. "Right?"

He chuckled, turning his body to face me. He brushed his lips against my forehead and nose before bringing them to my lips. "Right." He kissed me again, more deeply this time.

...

"Hey, Jack?" I glanced up from my plate to meet his eyes. "I just realized that we got a bit…distracted earlier," my cheeks flushed at the memory of his lips on mine, "and we never really finished our conversation."

"You mean the one about our future children?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Yes." The corners of my mouth rose into a smile. "That one. So, you said you'd be happy with whatever timeline?"

He nodded.

"Well, I was thinking maybe we should wait for at least a little bit. I mean, we're both young, so we don't really have a reason to rush. We've moved pretty quickly with everything else in our relationship, so maybe now we should take our time."

"Okay."

"Are you sure you're okay with waiting?"

"Elizabeth, I am okay with whatever you're comfortable with." He reached across the table and squeezed my hand. "You're the one who will carry the baby for nine months, so I will wait until you're ready for that."

"Okay, good."

We were silent for a few minutes while we ate.

"Jack?"

"Hmm?" He pushed his plate away and looked up at me.

"I really do love the idea of having kids with you. I just think we should enjoy some time with just the two of us. Maybe we can start trying in six months or a year. Statistically, it will probably take a few months once we start trying, though, so I also don't want to wait _too_ long."

"Oh, statistically, eh? Very romantic."

I rolled my eyes, and he winked. He held out his hand. I took it, and he pulled me into his lap.

He leaned in and kissed me. "I can't wait to have kids with you someday."

He moved his hands around my waist, resting them on my stomach. I felt butterflies as I imagined what it would be like to carry his child inside of me. I put my hands on top of his for a moment.

"How many do you want?" I reached across the table for my glass.

"Kids? I don't know. Five or six, maybe."

I nearly choked on my water. "Six children?"

He shrugged. "I've always wanted a big family. It was just me and my mom and my brother for so much of my life."

"How about we start with one and then go from there?"

"Okay." He kissed me again. "Truthfully, I just want you to be happy. So, however many kids you're comfortable with is perfectly fine with me."

"Thank you, Jack." I relaxed into him, relishing the feeling of his arms around me.

He buried his face in my hair. His hands still rested on my stomach, his thumbs slowly moving back and forth.

"Jack?" I took his hands in mine. "There's nothing in there yet."

He laughed softly. "The key word there being _yet_." He brushed his lips against my temple, my cheek, my neck.

"Jack…"

He turned my face to his, pressing his lips against mine.

"Mm, Jack." I put my hands on his chest, pushing him away. "As much as I love that, we need to stop before we do end up with a baby in me."

I moved back to my own chair, smiling shyly.

He ran his hand across his face. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I push things, too." I sighed, wishing I was back in his arms. "You know, maybe we should just rethink the whole eloping idea."

He smiled and touched my cheek. "Elizabeth, we talked about this. We want a real wedding, with our friends and family there."

"You're right. September will be here before we know it."

...

After a week, we decided that Jack was well enough that I didn't need to stay at his house anymore. I loved that he was getting better, but I wished that I still had an excuse to stay with him. The next few months were going to be long.

One of Jack's coworkers had brought him some paperwork he could do from home, so he wouldn't miss out on too much work. That made it a little easier to leave him alone.

I packed my bag and headed back to my house. I hadn't even been home for five minutes before the doorbell rang.

"Mom? What are you doing here?" I hugged her as she stepped into the house.

"Your father and I decided that, since you and Jack couldn't come to us, we would come to you." She noticed my bag sitting against the wall. "Are you taking a trip?"

"Oh, um." I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, color filling my cheeks. "I've actually been staying at Jack's house while he's been recovering. I just came from there."

She raised her eyebrows but said nothing more.

"There's my favorite middle daughter." My father set down their suitcases and embraced me.

"Hi, dad. It's good to see you guys."

"I hope you don't mind us dropping by for a little while."

"Of course not. I'm always happy to see you two." I looked around, realizing my sister wasn't there. "Where's Julie?"

"She decided to extend her stay in London. She's really enjoying helping Viola prepare for the baby."

I ushered them into the living room, where we all sat down. "Do you think Viola will be up to traveling by the beginning of September?"

"Is there a reason why she needs to travel then?" My mother looked at me knowingly.

"Jack and I have decided that the wedding will be the first Friday in September."

"The first Friday in September? That's only…?"

"Ten weeks away," I finished for her. "I know it's really soon, but Jack and I discussed it, and that's really the best time for us. His leg will be in the cast until the end of July at the earliest. Then in August, I'll be dealing with everything with school starting, so I don't need the stress of a wedding on top of that. We figured the beginning of September makes the most sense. I'll already have a three-day weekend for Labor Day, so I won't have to take off as much work. And it gives us enough time to get things planned without having a really long engagement."

"Are you sure you two aren't rushing into this?" My father finally spoke up.

My stomach tightened as I prepared for him to give me all the reasons why he didn't want us to marry so soon.

"You've known him for, what, four months? And we haven't even officially met him. Would it really make a difference if you waited until the winter or spring?"

"I know it seems like everything has moved really quickly with us, and it has. But I know from the bottom of my heart that he is the man I am supposed to marry. We just don't want to wait any longer than we have to."

He put his hand on mine. "I still feel like it's a little soon, but I know you well enough to know that, once you're set on something, it takes a lot to change your mind."

I laughed softly. "I'm definitely not going to change my mind about this."

Bronte walked over and nudged my hand.

"Oh, sorry, Bee. I forgot I haven't fed you yet." I turned back to my parents. "Why don't you go get settled in the guest room and then we can figure out what to do for dinner?"

"Will Jack be joining us?"

"No. He has a lot of paperwork to catch up on, so he was planning on doing that this evening. I'll let him know you're here, though, and we can plan something for tomorrow."

...

I lay in bed, unable to sleep. I had spent the last week sleeping in Jack's house, and it felt strange to be back in my own bed, without Jack beside me. Even though I had been adamant about staying in separate rooms, more often than not, I had ended up in his room at some point in the night.

I dialed his number, hoping he was awake.

"Beth?" There was concern in his voice. "Why are you calling so late? Is everything okay?"

I spoke quietly, so I wouldn't disturb my parents. "I can't sleep." I sighed. "I miss you."

"You just saw me a few hours ago."

"I know. My bed feels too empty, though." I rolled onto my side. "I knew we should've stuck with the separate bedrooms thing."

He laughed. "Yeah, we didn't follow that rule very well. If it makes you feel any better, I'm having a hard time falling asleep without you here, too."

I smiled. "Ten more weeks."

"Ten weeks sounds like an eternity right now."

"I know." I yawned. "Hey, Jack?"

"Hmm?"

"Will you sing to me until I fall asleep?"

"Anything for you."

I put my phone on speaker and finally dozed off to the soft sound of Jack's voice.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N Thanks so much for all of the sweet comments! I'm really glad you guys are liking this version of J&E, because I certainly enjoy writing about them!

...

My phone was still on the pillow beside me when I woke. I sighed, wishing Jack was there instead.

The house was quiet, still. The sun was just beginning to rise outside. Bronte was fast asleep on the foot of the bed. She didn't even budge when I got up to hop in the shower.

By the time I finished getting ready, my parents were awake and moving around downstairs.

My dad looked up from his book when I came down the stairs. "Good morning."

"Morning, dad. Is mom in the kitchen?"

He just nodded and returned his attention to his book.

"Hi, mom."

"Good morning, sweetheart. Coffee?" She held out a mug.

"I'll get some later. I'm going to go get Jack right now."

"You behave over there."

I rolled my eyes, laughing softly. "I'll be back in a bit."

Jack's house was quiet when I entered.

"Jack? Are you awake? It's me."

He peeked around his bedroom door. "I'll be right out. I just need to finish getting dressed."

My cheeks flamed knowing he was just behind his door, not clothed.

Rip sauntered over and plopped down on the floor in front of me. I knelt down and scratched his ears, trying to push the thought of Jack in some state of undress from my mind.

Jack exited his room a few minutes later, dressed in khaki shorts and a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

"Hi."

"Hi." I stood on my toes and kissed him. "You look very handsome today."

"I don't feel it with this awful cast on my leg, but thank you. You look beautiful, as always."

"Cast or no cast, you're still the most handsome man I know." I touched his cheek, kissing him again. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

We stood in silence for a moment, his arms wrapped tightly around my waist.

I sighed. "I wish we could just stay here all day, just the two of us."

"I wish we could, too. Unfortunately, your parents drove all the way down here to see you, so you probably shouldn't ditch them." He laughed. "Plus," he kissed me softly between words, "I should probably meet them before we get married."

Butterflies filled my stomach at the mention of our upcoming wedding.

"Good point." I ran my hands up and down his arms. "Do you need your crutches, or do you think you'll be fine without them?"

"I'll leave them here. I can lean on you if I need to." He winked.

"Okay, then we should probably get over to my house before my parents start wondering what's keeping us."

"Just one thing first." He put his hands on either side of my face, drawing me close to him. "I love you." He closed the gap between us, pressing his lips to mine, lingering for a bit.

"Well, now I _really_ just want to stay here with you all day." I brushed my thumb against his lips.

He laughed softly, kissing me again. "Let's go."

My parents both stood from the sofa when Jack and I entered the house. I took a deep breath, preparing myself for whatever sort of reaction my parents could have to meeting my fiancé.

My mother immediately pulled Jack into a hug. "It's so nice to finally meet you in person."

Though he initially seemed shocked at her action, he recovered quickly. "You, too."

"Jack." My father extended his hand.

Jack shook it. "Mr. Thatcher."

"Please, call me William. You're almost my son-in-law."

Jack gave a slight laugh. "Okay, William."

I put my arm around his waist. "So, I was thinking we could head into town after breakfast for a little tour, and then we can all have lunch at Abigail's."

"That sounds like a good plan to me." My mom moved toward the kitchen. "I hope everyone is in the mood for pancakes."

Forty-five minutes later, I pulled the car into a parking spot on Main Street.

"Is there anything in particular you two want to see? There are some shops and a park, but not a whole lot else. We'd show you the church, but you'll see that tomorrow."

"I'm okay with just walking around for a while—that is, if Jack is up to it." My mother nodded toward his broken leg.

"I should be fine." He stepped out of the car and walked around to my door, holding his hand out for me.

I slipped my fingers into his. "Jack, please don't overdo it on your leg."

He kissed my temple. "I promise I'll let you know if I need a break."

"Good, because if you make it worse, we'll have to delay our wedding, and we really don't want to do that."

"No, we don't."

We walked slowly up and down the street, showing my parents different shops. Every few minutes, I asked Jack how his leg was feeling. Every time I asked, he rolled his eyes playfully and assured me he was fine.

All morning, my parents asked Jack questions about his family and his life, trying to get a sense of who he was.

By the time noon rolled around, I was more than ready for a break from walking and shopping, and I was sure Jack was, too.

We got our usual table at Abigail's, and while we waited for our food, my parents switched their line of questioning to wedding plans. Because Jack and I had had an entire week together with little distractions, we had already made a lot of significant decisions regarding the wedding. We had the date, the venue, the wedding party, and the officiant.

We hoped to work out more of the details with the help of my parents.

...

Jack settled into the sofa while I headed toward his kitchen. "I think today went pretty well. My parents seem to like you."

"I like them, too. They'll be good in-laws."

"I'm glad you feel that way."

"Were you worried that things wouldn't go well?"

"I don't know. I've never introduced a guy to my parents before, so I didn't know what to expect." I handed him a glass of water. "Oh, I almost forgot. Rosemary texted me earlier and invited us to lunch with her and Lee on Monday."

"Do they know your parents are in town?"

I sank down onto the sofa beside him. "Yes. They said they need to talk to us about something important, so they don't want to move it to another day. I already let my parents know."

"I wonder what it could be." He put his hand on my leg, lightly brushing his thumb back and forth. "It must be really important if they don't want to wait to talk to us."

I shrugged. "With those two, it could be anything." I tucked my legs beneath me and leaned my head on his shoulder.

"Hey, don't get too comfortable. Remember you can't stay long."

"Don't remind me." I sighed. "I love my parents, but I just really miss spending time alone with you."

He touched my cheek. "Not much longer, and we'll have so much alone time, you'll probably get sick of me."

"Never." I kissed his nose. "I guess I should head back home now. I'll be over in the morning before church."

"Okay. I love you." He pressed his lips against mine.

"I love you, too. Sleep well."

...

Lee took Rosemary's hand as he spoke. "So, we've been meaning to talk to you guys about something for a while now, but then things just kept happening, so we haven't had the chance. First, Jack had to go propose, so we decided to wait."

Jack rolled his eyes, rubbing his thumb over the ring on my finger.

"Then he got hurt, so we had to wait even longer."

Jack laughed quietly. "So we've established that I ruined your plans. What is it that you wanted to talk about?"

"Well," Rosemary brushed her hand across her stomach. "We would really love it if you would be our little girl's godparents."

I squeezed Jack's hand and met his eyes. He gave a slight nod, a smile forming on his lips.

"We would be honored to be her godparents. Thank you so much for asking us."

"You guys are like family. We can't think of anyone we'd rather have in our daughter's life."

...

My mother, Rosemary, and I all piled into one car, while my father, Lee, and Jack squeezed into another. The guys had been vague about their plans for the day, but Jack seemed excited for whatever they were going to do.

Rosemary chattered on about wedding ideas for the entire drive to town. Honestly, I was so happy to have her help. Even though Jack and I wanted a small, simple wedding, the planning was still stressful. Rosemary's input made things much easier.

I took a deep breath when we entered the bridal store. It was like I was in a pool of satin and lace and tulle. I had no idea where to start.

Abigail met us at the store, and she helped Rosemary and my mother pick out some dresses in different styles.

After the fourth dress I tried on, I was feeling discouraged. I still had no idea what I really wanted. I didn't want a full skirt, I didn't want a fitted skirt. I didn't want satin, I didn't want tulle.

I was about to return to the dressing room to try on yet another dress that I probably wouldn't like. Then I saw it on a dress form in the window. The perfect dress. _My_ dress.

When I tried it on, I immediately knew it was _the_ dress. It was nearly a perfect fit, and it was even on sale.

"Oh, Elizabeth. You just look absolutely beautiful in that dress." My mother was tearing up. "I just can't believe my little Elizabeth is getting married."

"Mom… You're going to make me cry." I turned to face everyone, wiping the tears from my cheeks.

Rosemary sniffled. "You really do look amazing, Elizabeth, but I'm only crying because of the hormones."

We all laughed at her through tears.

"Well, I guess I found my dress."

I set an appointment for the alterations, feeling like everything was becoming more and more real. Our plans were falling into place.

...

"Hi."

"Hi, Jack." I leaned back on my pillow, turning my phone on speaker. "I missed you today."

"I missed you, too. I hope I didn't wake you. I just noticed how late it is."

"No, you didn't wake me." I pulled my quilt up to my neck. My voice was quiet when I spoke again. "I'm still having trouble sleeping without you."

He laughed softly. "I'm glad I'm not the only one."

I took comfort in the fact that he was struggling to sleep alone, too.

"My parents are heading home in the morning, so you and I can spend the whole day together, just the two of us."

"That sounds amazing." He sighed. "I have a bunch of paperwork to catch up on, though."

"That's fine. We can just hang out at your house. I'll bring a book or something. I just want to see you."

"Good. I want to see you, too."

"I got my dress today."

"Really?" There was a smile evident in his voice. "I can't wait to see you in it."

"Only nine and a half more weeks."

He groaned. "I need time to move a little bit faster."

"I know how you feel. Every single day, I wake up wishing it was September." I closed my eyes, breathing deeply. "I can't wait to be married to you."

...

I woke up early. My parents were already up, presumably to finish packing and to get ready to go home.

I greeted them sleepily. They had decided to leave early, though I had assured them that they were welcome to stay longer. After a quick cup of coffee, they were out the door.

I stood on the porch as they drove off. As soon as they turned the corner, I walked next door and let myself into Jack's house.

His bedroom door was propped open. He was still in his bed, fast asleep. I quietly made my way over, sinking down beside him.

He moaned quietly when the bed shifted, but he didn't wake. He slid his arms around me. I loved how, even in his sleep, he knew it was me beside him.

I dozed off quickly, feeling safe and warm in his arms.

I woke later in the morning when his arms tightened around me. I slept more peacefully in the hour that I had been in Jack's bed than I had the entire night before.

He sighed contentedly. "When did you get here?"

"Early this morning. I came over as soon as my parents left. I hope that's okay."

"Elizabeth, I'm never going to be upset about waking up with you in my bed." He kissed my hair. "I am very much looking forward to this being an everyday occurrence."

I took his hand from my arm, lacing my fingers with his. "We're one day closer."

He rubbed his thumb across the back of my hand as we lay in silence. Just that slight touch filled my stomach with butterflies. His breath tickled the side of my neck until I couldn't take it anymore.

I rolled onto my other side, meeting his face. He closed the gap between us, brushing his lips against mine slowly. "I love you." He leaned into me, kissing me more deeply.

I didn't speak for a few moments after he pulled back from me. My head was spinning and I felt like I had to tell my lungs to breathe.

"Um, do you need to get started on your paperwork right away?"

"No. Why?" He brushed a strand of hair from my face.

I gave him a shy smile. "Because I'd like to do that again."

He grinned, capturing my lips once more.

...

A/N The next chapter is going to be a little later than usual, as I will be out of town this weekend without my computer, but I will try to get it up sometime next week!


	15. Chapter 15

"I can't believe we're going camping, and I can't believe it was my idea."

Jack smiled and squeezed my hand. "It'll be great."

"Are you sure your leg is okay?"

"Positive." He shifted all his weight to the leg that had been in a cast just a few days prior. "See? Come on, this trip is supposed to get our minds off the accident."

"I'm sorry. I won't bring it up again."

He let go of my hand so he could get the tents from the back of the car. I opened the rear door to let the dogs out.

I watched him organize all the parts for the tent for a moment before I joined him. After a few misplaced pieces, we finally got the tent up and secured.

I sighed, realizing that we still had another tent to put together. "Do we really have to put up another one of these?"

He raised his eyebrows, and I felt my cheeks color as I realized the implications of my statement.

"I didn't mean… I was just thinking…" I was flustered and embarrassed and unable to form a proper sentence.

Jack chuckled. "I know what you meant. There's plenty of room for both of our sleeping bags in here, plus lots of space between us. But if you aren't comfortable with that, I can put up the other tent."

I shook my head. "One tent is fine. It's not like we haven't slept in the same bed before."

"Multiple times," he added with a wink.

"Just don't try to push your luck, buddy." I tried to give him a stern look, but I ended up laughing instead.

He pulled me into his arms. "Never. There will be plenty of time for that after we're married." His breath tickled my ear as he spoke.

"Jack Thornton!" My face grew hot. "Although, you know I'd be lying if I said I never thought about that. And I know that's something we need to talk about more before we get married, but not right now, okay?"

"Of course. I would never want to make you uncomfortable. We can talk about that when you're ready."

"Thank you." I kissed his cheek and stepped away from him.

I called Bronte over.

"Hey, what are we doing first?"

"The lake isn't too far. I thought maybe we could go fishing."

Rip fell asleep beneath a tree while Bronte explored the water's edge. Jack stood a few feet to my right.

"Jack, can I ask you something?"

"We're getting married in a few weeks. You can ask me anything."

"Are you sure you're okay with moving into my house after we're married?"

"Honestly, I don't care where we live as long as we're together." He slowly moved toward me and placed one hand on my shoulder. "It makes the most sense for me to move into your house. You're more settled there than I am in my house. I have less stuff to move. It has more room for when we decide to have kids."

I leaned in to kiss him when I felt a tug on the line. I quickly turned away, both hands on the fishing pole.

Jack dropped his rod and helped me reel in the fish that was caught on my line.

...

Later that evening, we sat beside each other, gazing into the fire. The dogs were both curled up just inside the open tent.

Jack handed me a plate. "Thanks for catching dinner."

I laughed softly. Poor Jack didn't have any luck on our fishing expedition; meanwhile, it seemed as though my line never spent more than a few minutes in the water before I got a bite. "Thanks for cooking it."

We sat as close as possible while we ate, Jack's left side pressed against my right from our shoulders to our knees.

"You know, I was thinking that maybe we can make this a yearly thing. An end of summer camping trip. And when we have kids, we can bring them, too. It could be a Thornton family tradition."

He smiled and kissed my temple. "I think that's a great idea. I can't wait to start traditions with you. And our kids." He winked.

We sat in silence for a little while after we finished eating, just enjoying being close to each other without the normal distractions of life.

Jack took my empty plate and placed it on the ground beside his before he stood and offered his hand.

"Dance with me, Elizabeth."

I slipped my fingers into his palm, and he pulled me into him. He rested his hands on the small of my back, holding me close. He hummed in my ear as we turned in slow circles.

"Jack?" I tilted my head up, meeting his eyes.

He brushed his lips against my forehead. "Yes?"

"I love you."

The corners of his mouth turned up, and he pressed his lips to mine. "I love you, too."

...

Despite starting out in separate sleeping bags on opposite sides of the tent, Jack and I found each other at some point in the night. When I woke, his arms were wrapped around my waist, and we were sharing a pillow. I thought about moving back to my own sleeping bag, but I relaxed into him instead, savoring the feeling of his warm breath on my neck.

He woke a few minutes later, kissing the top of my head. "How did we end up here?" He tightened his arms around me, pulling me closer.

"Mm, I don't know, but I'm not complaining." I rolled over to face him, meeting his lips with mine. "Happy birthday, Jack."

"Thank you." He kissed me again. "I love you."

"I love you, too." I stretched and extricated myself from his embrace. "I'm going to feed the dogs. You stay right here and relax."

"Mm, okay."

I unzipped the tent and called Rip and Bronte outside. They both ran into the trees, noses to the ground. I followed them to make sure they didn't run too far. I promised them food, and they quickly returned to my side.

A few drops of water hit my head as I was waiting for the dogs to finish eating. A gray cloud hung above me in the sky.

"Uh, Jack?"

He poked his head out of the tent. "Is everything okay?"

"Is it supposed to rain?"

He exited the tent and looked up. "I checked the forecast before we left and it didn't show anything."

Suddenly, thunder cracked and it started pouring. The dogs shot into the tent, spooked by the storm.

Jack just started laughing and pulled me into his arms. We were completely drenched by the time we got back inside the tent. He pulled a towel from his bag and tossed it to me.

"Jack?" I wrapped the towel around me.

"Mhmm?"

"Can you, um, turn around for a second so I can change into something dry?"

"You mean you don't want to stay in wet clothes all day?" He smirked, and I rolled my eyes. He turned to face the wall of the tent.

I quickly pulled on dry clothes, thankful that Jack didn't protest when I asked him to turn away. We were only a few weeks away from our wedding, but I was not comfortable undressing in front of him before then.

"Okay, you can turn back around now." I had turned my back to him to look through my suitcase, and when I turned back, my breath caught in my throat. I felt heat rise in my cheeks.

He had decided to change clothes as well, and his shirt was off when I turned around. I quickly dropped my gaze before he caught me staring. It wasn't as though I had never seen a man without a shirt on, but this was Jack. My fiancé. The man I was going to marry.

I knew he was fit—I could always feel his tight muscles through his clothes—but it was different to see him. The muscles in his back and chest were rigid, defined.

"Um, so what are we, um…" I lost my train of thought as the image of Jack without his shirt on remained plastered in my mind.

He chuckled, and I assumed he knew exactly what I was thinking about. My cheeks flamed.

"What are we going to do today?" He finished my thought for me as he pulled his shirt over his head.

I nodded.

"Well, I wasn't planning for it to rain, so I don't really have much for us to do inside, but I think I have a deck of cards in my bag."

We spent a while playing Go Fish. I taught Jack to play Slapjack, and he taught me to play War. I laughed harder than I had in a long time. The thunder let up quickly, but the rain continued throughout the morning. Rip and Bronte were curled up on my sleeping bag, oblivious to the downpour outside.

Eventually, Jack and I found ourselves in the same position we had woken up in that morning.

"Jack, I'm sorry that this is how your birthday has ended up."

He kissed the top of my head. "Elizabeth, this is one of the best birthdays I've had. I can't think of a better way to spend my birthday than just laying here with you." He tightened his arms around me. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Hang on a second." He rolled over and pulled something from his bag. "You spent your birthday with your favorite book, so how about we spend my birthday with my favorite book?" He leaned back against the pillow, and I leaned against his chest.

"And your favorite book is…?"

He turned it around so I could see the cover.

I raised my eyebrows. " _Jane Eyre_? That's really your favorite book, Jack?"

He shrugged. "I wasn't lying when I said I enjoyed it. I got myself a copy."

"You could've borrowed one of mine."

"I know, but it really is my favorite book now. I wanted my own copy. I guess we'll just have three copies of it when I move in with you."

I laughed softly. "We can never have too many copies of _Jane Eyre_ in our house." I reached up and brushed my hand against his cheek. "Read it to me?"

He kissed me before he opened the book and began to read aloud.

I woke up a little while later. Jack had apparently fallen asleep, too; the book lay open on the floor of the tent beside us.

I kissed his cheek, and he stirred.

"Mm, I like being woken up like that." He kissed me softly.

"A few more weeks, and that'll become a daily thing."

He wrapped his arms around me. "I can't wait."

"Hey, I think the rain finally stopped. What do you say we go for a walk or something?"

The dogs walked a few paces ahead of us as we strolled through the trees, Jack's hand in mine. The leaves were still dripping from the rain that had fallen earlier in the day.

He squeezed my hand. "What are you thinking about?"

"I'm just thinking about how, in a few years, we could be walking through here with our kids."

"I can't wait." He turned toward me, settling his hands on my waist. He brushed his thumbs back and forth on my stomach.

"Jack." I chuckled and kissed his cheek. "There's still nothing in there."

"Sorry." He moved his hands to my shoulders. "It's just nice to imagine."

"Someday. I promise. Just not for a little while."

"I know, I know." He kissed me softly. "I'm not trying to pressure you. I meant it when I said I'll wait until you're ready."

"I love you, Jack Thornton."

He kissed me again before taking my hand and leading me further into the trees.

Rip had slowed, now lumbering his way through the brush behind us, while Bronte continued to sniff out the path in front of us.

I hoped Jack knew where he was going, because I was already hopelessly turned around.

There was a rumble in the distance, and I noticed that the sky had grown darker.

"Was that…?"

Jack nodded and called Bronte back to us.

"I can't believe this keeps happening."

He put his arm around my waist. "But this gives us an excuse to go back in the tent and snuggle up in my sleeping bag."

"Well, when you put it that way…" I glanced up at the sky. "Bring on the rain!"


	16. Chapter 16

A/N As always, thank you for the sweet comments! I should be back to my regular posting schedule for now. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I promise the wedding is very soon!

...

I curled up against Jack on the sofa.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?"

I nodded into his chest. "I think so. I'm excited to get back to work, but I've gotten so spoiled being able to spend so much time with you this summer. It's not going to be fun being away from you all day."

"Well, just think about how, in less than three weeks, we'll be married." He kissed the top of my head.

"I can't wait." I turned to face him, bringing my lips to his. "You know, my poor students might get confused."

"And why is that?"

"They'll get used to calling me 'Miss Thatcher' for two and a half weeks, but then they'll suddenly have to start calling me 'Mrs. Thornton.'"

Jack grinned, revealing his dimples. "'Mrs. Thornton.' I love the sound of that." He pressed his lips to mine, kissing me deeply.

He suddenly pulled back from me a few moments later, giving a frustrated sigh.

"Jack?"

"I'm sorry. I need to get home. I love you." He kissed my forehead and walked out the front door before I could even respond.

To say I was confused would be an understatement. I thought back through the conversation we had been having, wondering if I had upset him with something I had said. I analyzed every word, every movement. His departure had been so abrupt, I really didn't know what to think about it.

My phone buzzed, and everything finally clicked when I read the message on the screen. I felt my cheeks flush as I sent a message in response, assuring him that I completely understood.

The closer we got to the wedding, the more difficult is was to keep ourselves from crossing the boundaries we set earlier in our relationship. Jack had forced himself to leave before we were tempted to go too far.

Maybe it would be a good thing that Jack and I would be apart more often in the final weeks before our wedding.

...

I was exhausted when I woke the next morning, having had a restless night's sleep. I took a cold shower, hoping the frigid water would help wake me up. There was no way I would make it through the day with twenty-five second graders if I couldn't get rid of my fatigue.

I wished I had time to see Jack before work, but as it was the first day, I needed to arrive early.

I was in such a hurry that I nearly knocked over a vase of flowers on my way out the door. I took a deep breath and made myself slow down a bit.

The flowers were beautiful: pink, purple, and white roses. I read the card as I carried the vase inside.

 _Beth,_

 _I hope you have a wonderful first day! I just know your students are going to love you. I can't wait to see you tonight and hear all about it. I love you._

 _Your almost husband,_

 _Jack_

Had anyone else been around, they would've seen the biggest, goofiest grin on my face. I had no idea what I had done in my life to deserve someone like Jack Thornton. Even when I had imagined the man I would marry, I never imagined anyone as wonderful as Jack. He was so much more than I could ever wish for.

I made it to the school just a few minutes later than I had planned. I had a few more things to finish up before my students arrived for the day. I was putting the last couple of papers on desks when the first few students entered the classroom. I greeted them and showed them to their desks, allowing them to talk quietly to each other while we waited for the rest of the class.

The rest of my students shuffled in over the next ten minutes, and soon the classroom was full.

"Good morning, everyone. I'm so happy you're all in my class this year! I'm Miss Thatcher."

I started the day by telling them a little about myself and letting them ask any questions that they had. They were very curious about Bronte and Jack, and I eventually had to curb all the questions about them.

I allowed each of the children to introduce themselves to the rest of the class, and for their first assignment, I asked them to write about something fun they did during the summer break.

The rest of the day went on tremendously well. While I knew enough not to expect a perfect year, I was hopeful that it would be a good and productive year for all of my students.

I sank down onto my bed as soon as I arrived at home, desperate for a nap.

...

Before I knew it, I was standing in the entryway of the church. I looked down and noticed I was in a long, white dress. I had no idea how I got there. My father stood beside me, holding out his arm.

"Are you ready?"

I felt myself nod as I looped my arm in his.

The doors opened in front of me, and I saw Jack standing at the front of the sanctuary with the pastor. He was dressed in a dark gray suit, looking very handsome. A grin spread across his face as soon as he saw me.

I forced myself to keep my steps small, my gait slow, even though I wanted to sprint down the aisle. Every step brought me closer to the man I loved.

Just as my father placed my hand into Jack's, I jerked awake.

I rolled over in the bed, groaning when I realized it had been a dream.

Eighteen days. I had to get through eighteen more days before I would marry Jack Thornton.

"Long day?"

He startled me, and I nearly missed the last stair. My hand flew to my chest, my heart pounding.

"Jack Thornton, you scared me!"

He left the sofa and stood in front of me, sliding his arms around my waist. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." He leaned in and kissed me deeply. "Forgive me?"

"I would've forgiven you without the kiss, but that was a nice bonus." I smirked.

"Did you have a nice nap?"

"Yes." I stood on my toes to kiss him. "I had a dream about our wedding."

"Eighteen more days and it won't be just a dream."

"That's eighteen days too many." I leaned my head on his chest. "I told my students that I'm getting married, and they're all very curious about you now."

"Oh really?" He raised his eyebrows. "What did you tell them about me?"

"That you're a sheriff."

He kissed my forehead. "That's all?"

"And that you have the world's laziest dog."

"Anything else?"

"And that you're very handsome."

He grinned and brushed his lips against mine. "That's more like it." He brought his hand to my cheek, kissing me again. "Are you hungry? I brought dinner from Abigail's."

"That sounds perfect." I reluctantly left his embrace to go set the table. "Oh my goodness. I can't believe I almost forgot to thank you for the flowers!" I admired the vase of roses that now sat on the middle of the table. "So, thank you for the flowers, _almost husband_."

He came up behind me, sliding his arms around my waist and kissing my neck. "You're welcome, _almost wife_." His fingers brushed lightly up and down my arms.

I shivered at his touch. I turned to face him, placing my hands on his chest. His fingertips slipped beneath the hem of my shirt, pressing against the bare skin of my back. My whole body was ablaze—in the very best way. His lips met mine, but just barely. As he tried to lean away, I pulled him back to me, kissing him harder.

At the very same time, we pushed each other away, realizing that we were quickly losing control.

"Eighteen more days."

"I think I should go home after we eat."

I sighed. "Okay."

"I don't want to go, but we keep getting closer and closer to crossing our boundaries. It's easier this way."

"I know."

I finished plating our dinner and set the food down on the table. We ate in silence, sitting as far away from each other as the small table would allow. Our wedding day couldn't come soon enough.

...

"So, I was thinking that maybe I could start moving my stuff over here. Just a little at a time over the next few days, so we won't have to move it all at once after the wedding."

I looked over at him as I placed the last of the clean dishes in the cabinet. "I think that's a good plan. I already made space in the dresser and closet for you. I guess everything else can go in the guest room for now, just until we decide where to put it all."

"Come here, Beth." He held out one hand.

"What?"

He pulled me into his lap. "Nothing. I just wanted to hold you." His arms encircled me, and he kissed me deeply.

My cheeks warmed. "I love you, Jack Thornton."

"I love you, Elizabeth Thatcher-almost-Thornton."

I rested my forehead against his, brushing my thumb across his cheek. "Thirteen days. Thirteen more days until I'm Elizabeth Thornton."

He kissed me softly. "Music to my ears."

I leaned into him, and he tightened his arms around me. We didn't speak. We didn't move. We simply enjoyed each other's closeness.

I sighed contentedly, thinking about all the evenings we had spent together and all the evenings we would get to spend together in the future.

I thought back to the first time I felt his arms around me, when he walked me to my door after our first date. At the time, I had a vague feeling that I was hugging the man I was going to marry, even though I had only known him for a few weeks. Little did I know I would be marrying him less than seven months later.

I wondered what thoughts were filling his mind as he held me close. A smile played on his lips as he absentmindedly twirled a strand of my hair in his fingers.

My voice was soft when I finally spoke again. "Stay here tonight."

"Elizabeth…" He brought his hand to my cheek. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"You can stay in the guest room. I just don't want you to go."

"Do you remember what happened when you stayed in my guest room?" He chuckled. "You _didn't_ _stay_ in my guest room. We can make it for thirteen more days."

"I guess." I brushed my lips against his. "Remind me again why we didn't just elope."

He kissed me again. "Right now, I can't remember, but it's probably time for me to go home."

...

I sat between Abigail and Jack on the pew, Jack's hand resting on my leg.

Abigail squeezed my hand. "Only a few more days. Are you ready?"

I looked up at Jack and smiled before turning back to Abigail. "I've been ready for a long time."

"It does feel like it's been a very long time since that day you were asking me all about the mysterious new sheriff." She winked.

"What is this about a mysterious sheriff?" Jack squeezed my leg slightly.

I felt color rise in my cheeks.

"I was just reminding Elizabeth of how she was smitten with you from the first time she saw you in the café."

"Okay, okay. I was not _smitten_. I will admit to being interested, but I was _not_ smitten."

"Well, I would say I was smitten the moment you walked into Lee and Rosemary's living room." Jack kissed my temple. His breath tickled my cheek as he whispered in my ear, "and I fell in love with you on our first date."

I met his gaze, eyebrows raised.

He shrugged. "I'm not kidding."

Before I could say anything in response, the pastor moved to the front of the sanctuary to begin the service.

All I could think about through the entire service was how, in only five days, I would be standing at the front of the church, marrying Jack Thornton.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N Thanks again for all the wonderful comments!

I hope you enjoy this chapter! Who's ready for a wedding?

...

Sunday evening after dinner, Jack and I sat beside each other on the sofa, my head on his shoulder.

"Jack? Did you mean what you said earlier today?"

"I'm sure I did, but I said a lot of things today. What was it?"

I took his hand in both of mine, rubbing my thumbs across his fingers. "You said you fell in love with me on our first date."

"Oh, I definitely meant that." He grinned and put his hand on my cheek. Butterflies rose in my stomach at his touch. "When I went home that night, I just knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I would marry you someday."

"Jack Thornton, look at you predicting the future." I tilted my chin up, meeting his lips with mine. "I'm glad you were right."

"I love you." He kissed me again.

"I love you, too. And for the record, I was in love with you by our second date."

He slid his arms around me, turning me slightly so my back was against his chest. "So I won you over with _The Sound of Music_?"

I laughed softly. "I guess you did. That will be a fun story to tell our kids."

As he did every time our future children were mentioned, he brought his hands to my stomach, slowly brushing his thumbs back and forth.

"Jack…"

"I know. I know. There's nothing in there right now." He rested his chin on my shoulder. "I think it's just become a habit. But think about it. Someday, there _will_ be a baby in there."

I smiled. "Someday," I agreed.

He kept his hands on my stomach, and I knew he was imagining what it might be like when I eventually would be pregnant. I took a deep breath and pulled his hands away.

"I know I've asked you before, but are you sure that you're okay with waiting a little while to have kids?"

"Yes, Elizabeth. I will wait until you're ready, even if it's not for a few years."

I kissed him softly. "How was I lucky enough to find you?"

...

Our families came into town on Wednesday afternoon to help with all of the last-minute wedding preparations. Jack's mom and brother were staying at his now-almost-empty house. My parents and Julie were staying with me until Friday, when they would go to a hotel so Jack and I would have the house to ourselves. Viola and Lionel planned to arrive with the baby—my five-week-old nephew, George—on the morning of the wedding.

Wednesday evening, we all met up at Abigail's for dinner. Though my parents and Charlotte had very different personalities, they seemed to get along well. I was very thankful for this, imagining that we could have big family gatherings in the future where our children could spend time with all of their grandparents, aunts, and uncles.

Julie and Jack's brother, Tom, hit it off as well. They spent the entire evening in the corner of the booth, laughing and talking softly. It was as though they forgot everyone else was there.

I brought them to Jack's attention. "It looks like you Thornton men really have a way with us Thatcher women."

"Apparently." He squeezed my leg under the table, making me squirm. He smiled and brought his lips to my ear. "Two more days, and I get you all to myself."

My cheeks flamed at the thought.

We ironed out some more of the wedding details in between stories that our parents told each other about our childhoods. Though Jack and I already knew a lot about each other, it was nice to learn even more.

At the end of the night, Jack pulled me around the back of the café while our parents said goodbye to each other in the parking lot.

I leaned against the wall as he brought his hands to my waist and pressed his lips to mine, kissing me deeply.

"I've been thinking about doing that all evening."

"Thank goodness. So was I."

"Two more days, and it's just us." He kissed me again, gently this time. "I love you, Beth."

"I love you, too."

He held my hand as we returned to our cars, letting go only when it became absolutely necessary. "I'll see you Friday."

"I'll be the one in white." I scrunched my nose and smiled at him.

As I lay in bed that night, I could only think about how, the next time I saw him would be at our wedding.

...

The school day seemed to last forever on Thursday. I should have been focusing on my students, but all I could think about was how close my wedding was. It was only one day until I married my best friend.

I reminded the kids that I would be absent for a few days and that, when I returned, I would be Mrs. Thornton. Butterflies filled my stomach when I said the name out loud.

They kept asking questions about the wedding: what my dress looked like, why I would be gone next week if the wedding was just one day, where I was going on my honeymoon.

They also asked questions about married life: if I would live with Jack, if we were going to have children, what we liked to do together.

I indulged them. I wasn't going to see Jack that day, so I enjoyed the excuse to talk about him at least.

Though I knew I would miss my students over the next few days, I was ecstatic when the day finally ended. As I walked out the door, it hit me that, the next time I stepped into that building, I would be a married woman. The thought made me smile. I couldn't wait.

...

"You're getting married tomorrow." Julie lowered her head onto the pillow beside me.

"I know." My mouth curled into a smile.

"I'm so happy for you, Elizabeth." She took my hand. "I can tell you and Jack really love each other."

"We do."

"So, when are you going to give me another niece or nephew?"

"Julie! Let me get down the aisle first. Besides, Jack and I have discussed it, and we're going to wait a little while. We're still young. We have plenty of time to have babies."

"Well, when you do decide to have kids, they will be the prettiest kids anyone has ever seen. I don't know how you managed to find someone as handsome as Jack."

I giggled. "I don't know, either. I got very lucky with him."

"So where is he taking you for your honeymoon?"

"We're spending the weekend at a cabin just northeast of here, but he's promised to take me to Vancouver in the spring, so we can have a little more time away with just the two of us."

"How romantic." She had a dreamy look on her face.

I pulled my quilt up to my chin. "Well, I should probably try to get some sleep. It wouldn't be very good if I fell asleep during my own wedding."

"Good night, Elizabeth."

"Good night, Julie. Thank you for being here."

...

"You know, it's strange." I looked down at my dress, processing everything that was happening around me.

"What's strange?"

"I feel nervous, but I also feel at peace. Those are two feelings that don't seem like they should exist simultaneously."

"Both of those are perfectly normal things to be feeling on your wedding day. There's a lot to take in." Abigail waited to place the veil on my head while Rosemary—who was now nine months pregnant—finished doing up the rest of the buttons on the back of the dress. "Everything is going to be great. You and Jack are perfect together."

"Elizabeth?" There was a soft knock on the door before my mother entered the room. "How are you feeling?"

"Nervous. Excited. I don't really know, but everything feels right." I smoothed down the front of my dress.

"Well, it's almost time to get out there. Your dad is ready and waiting, and I'm sure Jack is, too." She put her hand on my shoulder. "You look beautiful, Elizabeth. I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you, mom."

Abigail situated the veil in my hair. "Okay, you're ready to go."

I looked in the full-length mirror on the wall. I had chosen a simple sleeveless dress with a chiffon, A-line skirt and a lace overlay on the bodice. My headband was borrowed from my mother and my veil from Abigail. Happy tears filled my eyes as the situation really sank in.

Even though it had only been three months, it felt like it had been an eternity since we got engaged, and now, in less than an hour, Jack and I would finally be married.

"Elizabeth, are you okay?" My mother touched my arm, concerned when she noticed my tears.

I nodded. "I'm just ready to be married to him."

"Well, then, let's go." Abigail held out her arm.

I walked with Abigail on one side of me and my mother on the other, keeping me steady as we made our way to the sanctuary.

My mother kissed my cheek and went through the doorway, finding her spot beside Viola, Lionel, baby George, and Charlotte.

I took a deep breath as I heard the music start playing in the sanctuary. I watched as Rosemary and Lee stepped through the doors, followed by Julie and Tom, and finally, Abigail and Cody.

Cody had been so excited when Jack had asked him to be a groomsman, and he was more than happy to escort his mother down the aisle.

My father took my arm to steady me as we approached the doors. "I'm so happy for you, Elizabeth. Jack really is a great man. I can't imagine anyone better for you."

"Dad…" I leaned over and kissed his cheek.

As soon as I stepped into the sanctuary, it was as though Jack and I were the only two people in the room. It was all I could do to keep myself from running down the aisle to him. When I reached his side and he took my hands in his, I noticed tears in his eyes. My fingers were trembling, and he rubbed gentle circles with his thumbs, calming me. I wished he could pull me into his arms.

He looked so handsome in his gray suit and purple tie. I couldn't believe the man in front of me was about to be my husband.

Somehow, we both got through our vows without completely breaking down. He wiped a tear from my cheek after he placed the ring on my left hand, and I did the same to him.

Before I knew it, the pastor had pronounced us husband and wife, and Jack leaned in to press his lips to mine.

And we were married. Finally.

He squeezed my hand as we walked back down the aisle, passing by all of our friends and family. There was so much love in the room that I felt like my heart could burst. I was so incredibly blessed.

Jack pulled me aside once we were out of sight of everyone else.

"You look absolutely breathtaking, Beth." He brushed his lips against mine, his fingers sliding down from my shoulders to my waist. "How did I get so lucky?"

I reached up, pressing my palm to his cheek. "I'm the lucky one."

"I love you, Elizabeth Thornton."

Butterflies rose in my stomach as my new name passed through his lips. _Elizabeth Thornton_. I felt like I had waited my entire life to become Elizabeth Thornton.

"I love _you_ , Jack Thornton."

He rested his forehead against mine. "We're finally married."

"Finally," I agreed, the corners of my lips turning up.

He brought his lips to my ear. "I wish we could just go home now."

I shivered as heat rose in my cheeks. "So do I. But we just have to make it a few more hours."

He kissed me deeply, his fingertips brushing across my stomach and around to my back, sending warmth throughout my body.

I stood in silence when he pulled back, trying to catch my breath.

"That'll have to tide us over until we get home." He drew his thumb across my lips.

It took every ounce of my willpower not to pull him out to the car right then so we could go home.

The reception was held in the church's fellowship hall. Jack held my hand tightly as we walked toward the room, the noise growing louder as we got closer.

We stepped through the doors and were greeted with cheers and applause.

...

Jack led me to the middle of the room as the music started playing. Had anything significant happened during that moment, I wouldn't have noticed. All of my attention was focused on my new husband.

There was a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"Jack? Are you okay?"

The corners of his lips turned up. "I'm more than okay. I'm just missing my dad. I hate that he wasn't here to see this."

I lifted my hand to his cheek. "Oh, Jack. I didn't even think about that. I can't even imagine how I would feel if one of my parents wasn't here. I'm so sorry."

He shook his head. "Don't be. I'm sorry for bringing the mood down. This is supposed to be the happiest day of our lives."

"It _is_ the happiest day of my life. And don't you ever apologize for missing your father."

He leaned down and kissed me. "Do you remember the first time we danced together?"

I nodded and leaned my cheek on his chest, trying to get as close to him as possible. "My surprise birthday celebration. I believe there wasn't any music playing that time."

He kissed the top of my head, moving his hands to my waist. I linked my fingers behind his neck.

"I will dance with you any day, any time, with or without music." He grinned at me, his dimples showing.

"I'll take it. Any excuse to be in your arms is good in my book."

"Good, because I love having you in my arms. You fit just right." He pulled me closer, holding me tightly.

He stayed by my side throughout the entire reception, always with at least one hand on me, as if he was afraid that it was all a dream that would disappear if he let me go.

After a quick meal, we said goodbye to our guests, thanking them for being part of our special day.

We were quiet on the drive, taking the time to reflect on all that had happened in the past few hours and to think about what we had to look forward to over the next few days—and the rest of our lives.

The sun was just setting as we arrived back home. We stood on the front porch, Jack running his fingers up and down my arms. He leaned in, kissing me deeply.

"Jack?"

"Hmm?" His lips were on my neck as his fingers moved lower down my back.

"We should, um, probably go inside." Heat was spreading throughout my body, his fingertips fueling the fire.

"As you wish, Mrs. Thornton." There was a sparkle in his eye as he slowly turned the doorknob. Before I could take a step, he swept me up in his arms, carrying me across the threshold and into _our_ house to begin our life as a married couple.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N Thank you for the sweet comments! I'm glad you guys enjoyed the wedding! Now it's time for the honeymoon!

There are things implied in this chapter (it is a honeymoon, after all), but nothing too explicit! I hope you enjoy!

...

I rolled over in the bed, nearly bumping into Jack. I scooted closer to him, leaning my head on his bare chest. He wrapped his arms around me, his hands feeling so warm and comforting on my skin. I smiled as I thought back to everything that had happened the previous day.

I would never forget the look on Jack's face when I stepped into the sanctuary, like he never wanted to look away, like I was the only other person in the world. I thought his smile would never fade.

His smile remained as we danced at the reception and as we entered our house together at the end of the evening.

It was the very best day of my life.

When I woke again, the sun was peeking through the window. Jack still had his arms around me. Though we had spent the night with each other a few times before the wedding, it felt different to be sharing a bed with my husband rather than my fiancé—it felt so much better.

I glanced around the room. Very little had changed in the room since I had moved in two years prior.

Except…

Except now, there was a white gown hanging on the closet door. Now, there was a suit draped across the armchair.

Now, there was a man in the bed beside me. A smart, handsome, wonderful, _perfect_ man. My husband.

Jack stretched his legs and tightened his hold on me, kissing the top of my head. "Good morning, Mrs. Thornton."

I smiled and leaned into him, loving the sound of my new name. "Mm, good morning."

"I must say, I really enjoy waking up next to my wife."

I kissed him. "I was just thinking the same thing, _husband_."

He brushed his thumb across my lips. "How are you feeling, Beth?" There was a hint of concern in his eyes, and I knew he was referring to the previous night.

Though we had both been more than ready to take the next step with each other, there had still been some anxiety surrounding it. Ultimately, however, it was perfect and magical and so much better than I could have ever imagined it to be.

I smiled and sighed contentedly. "I'm wonderful. You don't need to worry about me, Jack."

"You'll let me know if you're ever not okay?"

I put my hand on his cheek. "I don't imagine that happening, but yes, I will let you know. And thank you for caring enough to ask."

"I'm your husband. It's my job to make sure you feel happy and safe and comfortable and loved." He rolled onto his side and pressed his lips to mine. "You know, we don't have to leave for a few more hours. We could just stay right here for a while."

"That sounds like a great idea. You can make sure I feel happy and safe and comfortable and loved." I scrunched my nose and leaned in to kiss him again.

...

In the early afternoon, we reached the small town where we would be spending the weekend. Jack got us checked in, and we found the cabin where we would be staying for the next few days. It was nestled in the trees, not far from the lake.

I couldn't help but smile when he had said the reservation was for "the Thorntons."

"It's beautiful out here. I'm glad you found this place."

"Well, I'm glad you like it. I've been wanting to come out here for a while, and now I finally have the perfect excuse."

He took our bags from the trunk of the car, and I followed him into the cabin. The main room was open, with large windows covering the far wall, facing the forest. I stood in front of them, looking out into the trees. Everything was still lush and green; it wasn't quite fall yet.

There was a door to the left that I assumed led to the bedroom.

I felt Jack's breath on my neck as he came to stand behind me, sliding his hands around my waist.

"So, what do you think, Mrs. Thornton?"

I grinned. "I think this is the perfect place for a honeymoon."

"I noticed there's a fireplace in here. I know it isn't cold outside, but maybe we can light a fire later?"

"That sounds heavenly."

He kissed my temple. "What do you say we go for a little walk, and then we can come back and make dinner together?"

I nodded and turned to face him. "What are your plans for after dinner, Mr. Thornton?" I ran my fingers along the neckline of his t-shirt.

"You'll have to wait and see." He smiled playfully and kissed my nose. "But I can assure you, you'll enjoy it."

...

I sat on the wood floor in the darkness of the main room of the cabin, looking out the window again. I could just make out a few stars through the trees. I pulled the blanket tighter around me and took a deep breath, thoughts racing through my head.

I heard Jack move in the bedroom.

"Beth? Are you okay?"

I nodded, keeping my gaze on the trees outside. "Just having a little trouble sleeping. I'm fine."

He lowered himself to the floor beside me, sliding his arm around me. "You promised to let me know if anything isn't okay."

"I promise, nothing is wrong. I'm fine. It's just new, being married." I sighed, leaning my head on his shoulder. "Don't get me wrong, I love being married to you, I really do. It's just a lot of changes all at once. Before, you were a part of my life—a big part of my life. But now, you're a part _of_ _me_."

He kissed the top of my head. "I understand just how you feel. Obviously, this experience is new to me, too. We'll figure it out together."

"I love you, Jack." I pulled his hand over to my lap, intertwining our fingers.

"I love you, too." We sat in silence for a few moments before he spoke again. "Do you want to try to sleep now, or do you want to stay out here for a little while longer?"

I stood, pulling him up with me. "Let's go to bed."

I immediately relaxed into his arms once we settled into the bed. He moved his fingers slowly through my hair. He hummed quietly, knowing that I could always be soothed by the sound of his voice. Before I knew it, I was fast asleep.

...

My first thought upon waking was how cold I felt. I reached out and realized that Jack wasn't beside me.

I pulled the blanket from the bed, wrapping it tightly around me as I stepped into the main room of the cabin.

"Jack?"

He turned from the stove. "Elizabeth. You're supposed to be sleeping still."

"It's too cold in that bed without you."

He walked over to me, pushing a strand of hair from my face. "Just go back in there and relax. I'll be in soon." He kissed my forehead.

"Jack Thornton, what are you doing?"

He gave me a mischievous smile. "You'll have to wait and see."

I returned to the bedroom and snuggled beneath the covers, bringing my knees to my chest.

Jack came in a few minutes later, carrying a tray of food. "I thought I'd bring my wife some breakfast in bed." There was a wide grin on his face.

"You spoil me, Jack Thornton."

He sat on top of the covers beside me, setting the tray in my lap. "Well, you deserve to be spoiled."

A single purple rose was in a small vase on the corner of the tray. "How did you sneak a flower in here?"

"I have my ways." He smirked. "Eat up. We have a long day ahead of us."

After breakfast, we headed down the trail just outside our cabin, Jack's hand gripping mine gently. His other hand carried the picnic basket that we had packed together that morning.

"I just can't get over how beautiful it is here. Who knew this place was here, so close to us?"

The state park was only an hour and a half from Hope Valley, and I had never even heard of it before Jack mentioned it.

"It really is amazing." He squeezed my hand.

After hiking further into the trees, we came upon the main attraction of the park: a waterfall hidden at the bottom of the valley.

Jack set down the basket and pulled me into his arms. We stood in silence, just watching the water cascade down the rocks and into the pool below.

"We should get some pictures, so we can remember this."

"I think I'll remember this without pictures, but okay."

He took out his phone, and we captured pictures of each other with the falls in the background. A kind passerby offered to get a picture of the both of us. As the photo was taken, it hit me again. I was standing beside my husband. Jack and I were really married.

We were going to spend our whole lives together.

The thought made me smile.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" He brushed his fingers against my temple.

"We're married, Jack."

A smirk played on his face. "I know we are. I was at our wedding, remember?"

"But we're _married_. You're my _husband_."

"Yes, and you're my wife." He leaned in, softly pressing his lips to mine. "My beautiful wife. And you've been my wife since Friday."

I rested my forehead against his. "I think it just now fully sank in. I felt like I waited forever to marry you, so it's been a little surreal that it actually happened."

"It finally happened," he agreed.

"I love you."

...

Jack stood in front of me, only a few inches of space between us. "Dance with me, Mrs. Thornton."

Without thought, I slipped my arms around his neck, while his hands found my waist.

"Jack, will you still want to dance with me when we're old?" I met his eyes.

"Elizabeth Thornton, I will want to dance with you until the day I die."

I smiled and leaned my head on his chest as we turned in slow circles in the dim light of the room, a fire flickering in the fireplace behind us. "I love you."

He kissed the top of my head. "I love you, too."

I felt completely at peace as we swayed together. I could feel his heart beating against my cheek. He gently pressed his fingers into my back, holding me close, but not close enough.

I tilted my chin up to meet his face, slowly bringing my lips to his. Heat spread throughout my body as his fingers brushed across my skin. He had a playful look in his eyes, taking my hand and leading me into the bedroom.

...

I woke early on Tuesday morning, but Jack was already awake. His eyes were on my face, a smile playing on his lips.

"Good morning, beautiful." He brushed his lips against my nose.

"Good morning." I moved closer to him, draping my body across his chest. "Can we stay here all morning?"

"Right here? In this bed?"

I nodded into his chest.

"I like that plan. I knew there was a reason I married you." He smirked, pulling my face to his, meeting my lips.

It had been four days since the wedding, and we both realized that we would soon be leaving our honeymoon bubble to return to the real world. We decided to make the most of our morning.

...

A little while later, we were still snuggled up in the bed, neither of us wanting to move.

"Mm, we need to get up, Elizabeth."

"No," I groaned. "We need to stay here." I tightened my arms around him.

"We have to check out soon, and we still haven't packed." He kissed my cheek. "I promise I'll make it up to you when we get home."

"You better." I slid from the bed, pulling the blanket with me.

When I returned from the bathroom, Jack was kneeling on the floor, placing his clothes into the suitcase. I joined him, refolding the pile of clothes stacked beside my bag.

"This has been a really great weekend, Jack. Thank you."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." He touched my arm. "You're still doing okay?"

I rolled my eyes playfully. "Yes, Jack. You don't need to ask me that every day."

He dropped his eyes and gave a small smile. "I'm sorry. I just love you so much, I can't help but worry."

My face grew serious. "I really messed things up when I ran away, didn't I?" I could only assume that he was so worried because he thought that something might make me want to run again.

"Beth…" He put his fingers under my chin and tilted my face up so I was forced to meet his eyes. "You need to stop feeling guilty about that. You came back. You _married_ me. I'm not afraid that you're going to run away again."

"Then why are you worried about me?" My voice was soft.

"Because I know you, Elizabeth. I know that you put on a brave face when you're overwhelmed or anxious. I know that you feel like you have to pretend everything is okay, even when you feel like everything is breaking down inside of you. I know that you're hesitant to talk about your feelings, because you've been shut down by people in the past. I know that you'll do things you don't really want to just because it will make someone else happy."

Tears stung my eyes. No one in my life had ever understood me as well as Jack Thornton. Every word he said was the truth.

He brushed a tear from my cheek. "There are a lot of compromises to be made in a marriage, but I want you to know that my ultimate goal is your happiness. I don't want you ever to feel like you can't tell me no, okay?"

I nodded, tears still rolling down my cheeks.

He leaned forward, gently pressing his lips to mine. "I don't want to abruptly change the subject, but if we don't finish packing in the next few minutes, we're going to be late checking out."

Neither of us spoke until our bags were packed and stored in the trunk of the car. I turned toward him as he held the passenger door open for me.

"Jack? I want you to know that I have loved every moment of this weekend. _Every single moment_."

By the smile on his face, I knew that he understood the weight of my statement. I could see his whole body relax as he finally realized that he truly had nothing to worry about. He brushed his lips against mine, one last kiss before we made our way back home.

...

Jack blocked me from entering the door when we reached our home early that evening. "Not so fast, Mrs. Thornton." He smirked before he lifted me into his arms.

"Jack, you don't have to do this every time we go through this door."

"Just humor me." He kicked the door closed behind us, kissing me soundly before setting me down in the entryway. "Welcome home."

"Well, Mr. Thornton, we have the rest of the evening all to ourselves. Whatever can we do to fill that time?"

"Change into our pajamas, order some pizza, curl up on the couch, and watch a movie?"

The corners of my mouth raised. "It's like you read my mind."

"Pepperoni sound good?"

"And extra cheese."

"I'll go place the order. You can choose the movie."

" _Sound of Music_ it is!" I heard him laugh as I headed up the stairs to change.

Three hours later, we were lying on the sofa, a blanket covering both of us. Jack's arm was draped across me, holding me against his chest. Our empty plates sat on the coffee table. The movie had ended, and the screen was black.

I turned my head to look at him. "I can't believe we have to go back to work tomorrow. I just want to stay here with you forever."

"At least I don't have to leave tonight. We'll get to fall asleep together _and_ wake up together. Plus, my shifts coincide with your hours this week, so we'll get to spend all our evenings together."

"That does help a little. I still wish we could just hide out here for a while, though. I like our honeymoon bubble."

He slipped his fingers through mine. "It is a very nice bubble. You know, we should take advantage of the last few hours in our bubble."

I wriggled from his arms and pulled him up with me. "Look at you, reading my mind again."


	19. Chapter 19

Jack groaned when the alarm blared on the nightstand. "No. It's too early." He reached over and shut it off.

I rolled onto my back. "Why did we think it was a good idea to go back to work less than a week after our wedding?"

"We weren't really thinking when we made that decision." He sighed. "I guess I should go hop in the shower." He looked over at me, smiling mischievously. "You're welcome to join me."

I felt my cheeks color. "Jack… I don't think that would really help me feel better about having to leave you to go back to work."

"You're probably right." He slipped out of the bed and kissed my forehead. "I'll be out in a bit."

Thirty minutes later, I made my way down the stairs, tucking my blouse into my skirt.

Jack turned from the stove when he heard me. I laughed when I noticed the frilly apron he was wearing over his uniform.

"You're such a goof, Jack Thornton."

"Hey, you better be nice to me, or I won't give you any of these delicious pancakes I've been making."

I kissed his cheek. "Oh, you'll give me pancakes."

"What makes you so sure of that?" He smirked.

"Because I plan on being _very_ nice to you later today." I ran my fingers along the collar of his shirt, looking up at him through my eyelashes. "Unless, of course, you deny me my pancakes."

He groaned. "You play dirty, Mrs. Thornton."

I leaned in and kissed him, slow and deep, making sure he knew I meant business.

"Is it too late for us to call in sick?"

I laughed softly. "I think so." I felt his eyes on me as I moved across the kitchen to retrieve plates and silverware. "So, your shift is over at four?"

He nodded as he stacked pancakes on our plates, sprinkling extra chocolate chips on mine. "And you'll be home before me?"

"I should be, but I might stop by Abigail's on my way home."

"Make sure she knows you can't stay long because you promised to be very nice to me later." He smirked.

"Jack!" Heat filled my cheeks. "I can't say something like that to her! I know you're joking, but still!"

He reached across the table and squeezed my hand. "Just making sure you remember your promise."

I moved around the table to sit on his lap, sliding my arms around his neck. I kissed him softly. "I won't forget."

He smiled and touched my cheek. "Now I'm going to be distracted all day at work, so thank you for that."

"Speaking of work," I glanced at the clock, "we need to head out soon, or we'll both be late."

...

"Elizabeth! Good to see you!"

I hugged her tightly. "It's good to see you, too. I missed you, Abigail."

"Oh, I missed you, too. How was the honeymoon?"

I felt my cheeks color as a smile stretched across my face. "It was…" I searched for the right word to describe the first days of my married life with Jack. "Wonderful. Magical. Perfect. I didn't want to leave." I sighed contentedly. "Jack is amazing."

"I bet it was tough for you two going back to work today." She moved back behind the counter, restacking coffee mugs as we talked.

I sat down on a stool, resting my chin in my hands. "I don't know why we thought it would be a good idea to have a short honeymoon. It seemed like the practical thing to do since Jack missed work with his injury over the summer and I didn't want to leave my class with a sub for too long so early in the school year. But, wow, I really didn't want to leave him this morning."

"Were your students excited to have you back?"

I nodded. "They were so happy." I laughed softly. "They kept apologizing for accidentally calling me Miss Thatcher."

"Oh, that's right. They have to get used to calling you Mrs. Thornton now."

"I'm still not used to it," I grinned, "but I love being Elizabeth Thornton. It's still hard to believe that only seven months ago, I was sitting right over there," I pointed over at my usual table, "listening to you trying to convince me to give the new sheriff a chance."

"You're welcome." She winked.

"If I recall correctly, your reasoning was that we were both 'good looking and single.'"

"I did say that, didn't I?" She laughed. "Well, I'm glad it worked out for you—for both of you."

I glanced down at my watch. "As much as I'm enjoying your company…"

She gave me a knowing smile. "Go. Get home to that good looking and no longer single sheriff of yours."

I squeezed her hand. "Thank you, Abigail. I'll see you soon."

...

"Jack?" I glanced around when I walked into the house. His car was outside, so I knew he was home, but he was nowhere to be seen downstairs.

"Up here." His voice came from our bedroom.

I let the dogs into the backyard before I scaled the staircase. "Sorry I'm a little late. I got caught up talking to Abigail. What are you doing in here?"

"Elizabeth, I need to tell you something." His voice was filled with concern.

I sat on the edge of the bed and met his eyes. "Is everything okay?"

He sighed. "I don't know. Come here." He motioned for me to move closer. I leaned against the headboard and took his hand. He kissed my fingers. "I have to help out with some work in another town for a little while. I'm supposed to leave in a week and a half."

"Jack…"

"I know, we just got married. I'm so sorry. I tried to get out of it, but I really don't have a choice. They need me there."

"How long will you be gone?"

"A month."

"A month?!" I felt tears fill my eyes. We had only been married for five days. By the time he returned, we would have spent more time apart than together since the wedding.

He pulled me into his arms, burying his face in my hair. "I'm so, so sorry. I don't want to do this, but I have to."

"Just promise me you'll be safe."

He kissed me. "I will come back to you, Elizabeth. I promise. In the meantime," he brushed his lips across my cheek, "we can make the most of the time before I have to leave."

I fingered the buttons on his shirt, smiling mischievously. "Well, I did promise to be very nice to you."

...

Saturday afternoon, the front door opened, and I smiled as Jack walked in.

"Hi, Beth." He kissed my cheek. "How was your day?"

"Good. I got a few more of your boxes unpacked."

"Thank you for doing that."

"It's really a selfish thing on my part." I put my hands on his chest. "If I unpack your boxes while you're at work, then that leaves more time for us to spend together."

He kissed me softly. "Give me just a few minutes to change, and then I'm all yours for the rest of the evening."

"Good plan."

I watched him as he headed up the stairs, still in awe that he was actually my husband.

My phone buzzed, bringing me away from my thoughts. A grin spread across my face when I saw the message.

"Jack!" I took the stairs two at a time and walked in on him changing out of his uniform.

"What's going on? Is everything okay?" He pulled on his T-shirt, concern covering his face.

"Nothing's wrong. We have a goddaughter!" I held out my phone so he could see the picture of the brand-new baby. "Lee just sent me that picture. Her name is Alina Rose, and Lee said she and Rosemary are both doing great."

"Wow, she looks a lot like Lee." The little baby had a full head of dark hair and clear, dark eyes.

"Don't tell Rosemary that. Knowing her, she probably wants this baby to be her clone." I laughed. "I was thinking maybe we could head to the hospital soon to see them. I already asked Lee, and he said it was fine."

"Just let me get some shoes on, and we can head over."

Half an hour later, we arrived at the hospital. A nurse pointed us in the direction of Rosemary's room, and we knocked quietly on the door. Lee ushered us in, and we saw Rosemary holding their tiny daughter.

"Hi there, godparents." She spoke quietly, trying not to wake the baby in her arms.

I stood beside the bed. "Rosie, she's beautiful."

"Thank you." She stroked the baby's cheek. "Do you want to hold her?"

"Yes, please." I carefully took the baby into my arms. "Hi, sweet Alina. I'm your Auntie Beth. Thank you for waiting until after uncle Jack and I got married before being born." I looked up at Rosemary with a wink. Alina slowly opened her eyes, blinking sleepily. "Oh, Jack. Look at her."

He moved beside me, sliding his arm behind my back. "You look good with a baby." His voice was quiet, so only I could hear what he said.

I felt a flush rise in my cheeks. "Not yet, buddy."

"May I?" He held out his hands, glancing between me and Rosemary.

She gave him a small nod and a smile, and he lifted the baby from my arms.

Seeing Jack standing there, holding a tiny baby in his strong arms, I felt as though the breath was knocked out of me. Someday, it would be _our_ baby that he was holding. One that I had carried inside of me for nine months; one with dimples and curls, a perfect blend of me and Jack.

It caught me off guard just how much I wanted that. I knew that Jack and I would have kids eventually, but I had been so sure that I wanted to wait. But now… Now I wasn't so sure what I wanted. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to try sooner. Except that Jack was leaving in less than a week, and I wouldn't see him for a month. My stomach tightened at the thought.

"Elizabeth?" Jack's voice broke me from my thoughts. He had passed the baby back to Rosemary, and he brought his hands to my arms. "Are you okay?"

I nodded. "Just thinking."

"About?"

"We can talk about it later." I knew my face had dropped when I remembered that Jack was leaving, and he would be worried about me until we talked.

Jack cleared his throat. "Well, we should let you guys enjoy some more time alone with that sweet baby of yours."

"Thank you for letting us come meet her."

We all bid each other goodbye, and Jack and I left the hospital in silence.

"Beth?" He squeezed my hand as we walked to the car. "What was that all about?"

I sighed. "I just keep forgetting that you're leaving, and then it's like I'm getting punched in the gut every time I remember."

He stopped walking and stood directly in front of me. "Oh, Elizabeth." He wrapped his arms around me. "You have no idea how much I wish I could get out of it. The thought of having to leave you tears me apart."

I took a shaky breath. "I'm going to miss you so much."

"We still have a week before I have to go."

"That's not enough time."

"I'll come back. It's not forever, I promise." He rubbed my back.

"I just want to go home."

We were both quiet on the drive. I was thankful that Jack didn't press things further. I went straight to our room when we arrived, wanting some time alone to process my feelings.

I curled up and pulled the quilt up to my chin. Silent tears rolled down my face. It wasn't fair for him to leave me two weeks after our wedding. It would be bad enough if he was only leaving for a few days, but he would be gone for an entire month. We probably wouldn't have the opportunity to speak often while he was gone, so I would have no idea how he was doing.

What if the work he was doing was dangerous? He could be hurt, or worse. I couldn't handle that.

I eventually cried myself to sleep.

When I woke, Jack was in the bed beside me, propped up on his side.

"Hi." He brushed the hair from my face.

"Hi."

"I'm sorry, Beth."

"It's not fair."

"I know." He pulled me into his chest.

"I love you, Jack."

"I love you, too."

...

"Jack?" I stood in the doorway of the bathroom, watching him splash water on his face. I pulled my robe tighter around me.

He turned toward me, wiping a towel across his cheeks. "Hmm?" He closed the distance between us, pressing his lips to my forehead.

"Um, there was something else on my mind earlier, at the hospital."

"Care to share?"

"Well, it's just that, seeing you holding Alina… It got me thinking." I fiddled with the hem of his T-shirt as I spoke. "Maybe when you get back, we should talk about changing our timeline a bit…"

A wide grin spread across his face. "Are you saying you want to try for a baby sooner?"

I shrugged. "Maybe. I think we should definitely discuss it, at least."

"Why don't we try for one now?" He nudged me out of the bathroom, smiling mischievously.

"No, sir. We need to discuss it first. Besides, whenever we do decide to have a baby, I want you here for every moment."

"I guess that's a good point."

"But in the meantime," I brushed my lips across his cheek before they found his mouth, "we can still have some fun."

"I'm all for having fun."

...

Over the next week, we settled into more of a routine. We arrived home from work around the same time, and we spent most of our evenings cooking dinner together before walking the dogs. I tried to keep my mind off of the fact that he was leaving, but Saturday morning came before I knew it.

"Hey."

I awakened to Jack kneeling beside the bed, touching my cheek.

"I have to get going."

"Mm, don't leave."

"I have to." He leaned in and kissed my forehead.

I sat up, wrapping my arms around his neck. "I don't want you to go."

"It's just four weeks. We can do this. I'll be back before you know it."

"You'll call?"

"As often as I can." He glanced at his watch. "Okay, I really need to get going, or I'll be late."

I touched my forehead to his. "Be safe, Jack."

He brushed a tear from my cheek with his thumb. "I will. I love you, Elizabeth Thornton. So much."

"I love you, too."

He kissed me deeply before he got up. "See you soon." He turned back before he stepped through the bedroom door, smiling sadly before he walked away.

Once I heard the front door close behind him, I let the tears fall. The next four weeks were going to be difficult.


	20. Chapter 20

A/N Thanks for all the sweet comments! I had most of this chapter already written up a while ago, so you get an extra chapter this week!

There's a tiny time jump in this one (mostly because I don't like to write about E without J), so I hope you enjoy it!

...

I sat in the breakroom while my students were at recess. Some of the other teachers tried to talk to me, but I was feeling off and wasn't in the mood to carry on a conversation. I gave them short answers and turned the conversation back to them. I should've just stayed in my classroom until lunch was over.

Jack had been gone for almost three weeks. His absence was more difficult to deal with than I had expected. The town he had gone to was in a remote area on the other side of the state, and he had only been able to call me once since he left. The stress of not knowing how he was doing had begun taking its toll on me, and I could feel myself getting sick.

I thought back to the time before we were married, before we were even engaged, when I had seen the news story about the shooting. I had been terrified not knowing how Jack was doing for twelve hours. I could almost laugh; I had been so naïve. Twelve hours seemed like no time at all compared to the two weeks since I had last heard from him.

I looked at the calendar on the wall in front of me, counting the days until Jack would return. Suddenly, my stomach tightened. I counted again.

I quickly ran to the bathroom and emptied my stomach. After I cleaned myself up, I made arrangements with the front office for my class to be cared for the rest of the day.

I desperately needed to talk to Jack, but since I couldn't, I went to the next best person.

"Elizabeth? What are you doing here in the middle of the day? Shouldn't you be at work?" Abigail approached me with a look of worry on her face when she saw me enter.

"Do you have a minute?"

"For you? Of course." She led me to the back room of the café, away from everyone. "What's going on, Elizabeth?"

I sighed. "I left work early because I got sick during lunch. I've been feeling off for a couple of days now, but I hadn't gotten sick until today. But the thing is, this doesn't seem like a normal sickness, and there isn't anything going around the school that I would've caught. At first, I thought it was just the stress of Jack being gone, but then I looked at a calendar today." I took a deep breath before I finished my thought. "I think it might be morning sickness."

Abigail gasped. "You're pregnant?!"

I shrugged. "I'm not sure. I haven't taken a test, but it seems likely with how I've been feeling lately. I'm scared, Abigail. Jack and I have only been married for a little over a month, and he's been gone for half of that."

"Have you talked to him about this?"

"About having a baby?"

She nodded.

"Kind of? We've discussed it a few times, but we weren't even trying yet. We were going to talk more about it when he got back. We definitely didn't plan for anything to happen this soon."

"Shouldn't you let him know what's going on?"

I could feel tears stinging my eyes. "I don't want to say anything to him unless I'm sure. He already feels bad enough for leaving. He doesn't need the stress of uncertainty, and he would only worry more if he knew he left me alone _and_ pregnant."

She put her hands on my shoulders. "I personally think you should let him know, but ultimately, it's your decision. I'll just go get you some soup to settle your stomach. You go home and rest. And please take a test. You're going to worry until you know for sure."

"Thank you, Abigail. And please, don't say anything to anyone else."

"I won't tell a soul. Now you get home." She handed me a to-go container of soup and nudged me toward the door.

I drove to a drugstore in the next town over, not wanting to risk running into anyone I knew.

When I got home, I kept myself busy doing different things around the house, trying to ignore the box I had left upstairs.

...

A few hours later, Abigail showed up at my door.

"Did you take the test yet?"

I shook my head, feeling guilty. I knew I needed to take it so I could know for sure, but I already felt overwhelmed with just the possibility. The box had sat unopened in the bathroom since I got home.

"I'm not leaving here until you take it." Abigail sat on the couch, making herself at home. I could tell she was serious.

I reluctantly headed up the stairs with Bronte on my heels.

A few minutes later, I sat on the edge of the bed, watching the last seconds tick by on the timer. I took a deep breath and went back into the bathroom.

Abigail stood up when I reached the bottom of the stairs. "So?"

I shrugged. "We're having a baby."

"Oh, Elizabeth!" She threw her arms around me.

I felt tears fill my eyes as I flipped through so many emotions.

"Elizabeth, sit down." She led me to the couch. "Please, tell me how you're feeling."

"I honestly don't know. Overwhelmed. Happy. Scared. Nervous. A little bit of everything, I guess." The tears spilled down my cheeks. "We weren't trying. I'm not ready for this. I mean, we talked about maybe trying when he got back, but it wasn't supposed to happen so soon. Jack was supposed to be here when I found out."

"Elizabeth, you are going to be an amazing mother. You just need to take some time to let this sink in. And you know Jack is going to be so happy."

"I need him here."

Abigail put her hand on my back. "He'll be home soon."

I shook my head. "No. I need him here _now_. I can't do this without him."

"Elizabeth, you aren't alone in this."

I knew she was trying to make me feel better, but my level of anxiety kept creeping higher. I was on the verge of a panic attack. I felt my heart rate increase, and my breathing grew shallow.

Abigail put her hands on my shoulders and pulled me to face her. "Elizabeth, take a deep breath. Just breathe." She took a few deep breaths with me. "Can you call him?"

I shook my head, tears still rolling down my cheeks. "Cell service is spotty, so he has to call me when he gets a signal. We've only talked once since he left, and that was two weeks ago."

"Do you need me to stay with you tonight?"

I shook my head. "No, I'll be fine. Thank you for the offer, though. I think I really just need some time to process everything."

"You call me if you need anything, okay?"

I smiled sadly and nodded. "Thank you for being here, Abigail."

"Of course." She grabbed her bag and headed for the door. "Elizabeth, you probably want to go see your doctor soon."

I nodded.

"And remember, call me if you need anything. I don't care if it's the middle of the night or if I'm in the middle of a shift. I will be there for you."

"You're a good friend, Abigail. Thank you."

As soon as the door closed behind her, I found my hands drawn to my stomach. There was no sign yet of the tiny baby growing within me.

I took a shaky breath. "Hi there, baby." My voice was soft. "I'm your mom. I know you can't hear me yet, but I love you so much."

Though my emotions regarding my pregnancy were still all over the place, I knew one thing for sure: I already loved the baby I was carrying. I loved it from the moment I counted the days on the calendar and suspected its existence. How could I not love someone who was part me and part Jack?

I moved my hand across my stomach. "Your dad is going to be so happy when I tell him about you. He's going to be the very best dad. He'll be home in a few days, and then I can tell him."

I smiled, knowing that Jack would be ecstatic about the news. Though he had assured me on multiple occasions that he was okay with waiting to start our family, I knew he was eager to be a father.

That night, my dreams were filled with images of the baby I carried. Tiny fingers, tiny toes, tiny dimples. I woke in the morning with a smile on my face for the first time since Jack left.

...

"Hi, Elizabeth!" Rosemary waved from her driveway.

"Hi, Rosie."

"Are you busy right now?" She pulled Alina's car seat from the car.

I glanced at the papers in my hand before I quickly tucked them into my purse. "Um, no."

"Well, then, come over. I could use some adult company, and I hate that you're over there by yourself."

I sighed. "Give me a few minutes to change and let the dogs out."

"Just come over whenever. Alina and I will be here."

I pulled the papers from my purse once I was inside. I felt the corners of my mouth turn up as I read them again. The doctor had confirmed that I was pregnant and scheduled me for an ultrasound in a few weeks.

I rubbed my stomach. "Oh, little baby, I love you so much."

Thirty minutes later, I walked through Rosemary's front door. She handed me a mug of tea and invited me to sit on the couch.

"So, how have you been doing with Jack being gone?"

I tucked my leg beneath me. "It's been tough. We went from spending every single day together to not speaking for two weeks."

"You haven't heard from him in two weeks?"

I shook my head. "He's basically in the middle of nowhere. They don't have any reliable methods of communication."

"I'm so sorry, Elizabeth. I don't even know what I would do if I had no way of talking with Lee."

I shrugged. "We've made it this long. We can make it to next weekend when he comes home. Okay, I don't really want to talk anymore about how much I'm missing Jack. What's been going on with you? How's Alina?"

"Everything has been good here. I actually had Alina's one month check-up today, and the doctor said she looks perfect."

I took a sip of tea. "That's good. How are you and Lee settling into being parents?"

"I won't lie. It hasn't been easy. I feel like I haven't slept since she was born. She's just lucky she's cute." She laughed.

I smiled, thinking about how Jack and I would be in that same boat in seven and a half months. I found my hand drawn to my stomach, but I quickly pulled it away before Rosemary could notice. I didn't want to tell anyone else until Jack knew.

"But even though I'm exhausted, it's been wonderful. She smiles all the time in her sleep, and it's just the sweetest thing I've ever seen. And she's such a daddy's girl. Lee can get her to stop crying so quickly." She grinned. "He was meant to be a father. It's so fun to watch him with her."

I knew Jack was meant to be a father, too. He was going to be so wonderful with our baby. I couldn't wait.

"Well, if you and Lee ever need some time to yourselves, I would be more than happy to babysit. Jack, too, when he gets home." _It could be good practice for us_.

"Thanks, Elizabeth. I might take you up on that soon."

...

I took a deep breath before I answered the phone. "Hi."

"Hi, Beth."

I stepped outside and sat on the porch swing. "It's so nice to hear your voice. I miss you."

"I miss you, too."

I twisted the rings on my left hand. "How has work been?"

"It's been okay. I can't wait to come home, though."

"You'll be home at the end of the week, right?" Bronte sat in front of me, and I stroked the top of her head.

He sighed. "Well, actually…"

"Jack, please don't tell me you'll be gone longer."

"I'm so sorry, Elizabeth. They need me to stay another week. I tried to get out of it, but my superiors said no. I'll be home as soon as I can, I promise."

I could feel tears filling my eyes. I missed my husband. It wasn't fair that he had already been gone for almost four of the six weeks that we had been married.

"Elizabeth, are you still there?"

"Yes." I sighed.

"Are you okay?"

"I just want you home."

"Is there anything else going on? You sound a little distracted."

I put my hand on my stomach. It had been two days since I had found out I was pregnant. Although I wanted desperately for him to know about the baby, this wasn't the time to tell him. This was news that I needed to share with him in person. He was worried enough as it was; I didn't want to add to that. I cleared my throat. "I've just been feeling a little under the weather for the past few days." _That wasn't technically a lie._

"Did you go to the doctor?"

"Yes. I'm fine, really." _Just pregnant_. "Abigail has been over here a lot, making sure I'm okay. Don't worry about me, Jack. Just focus on getting your work done there so you can get home."

"Make sure you're taking care of yourself, Elizabeth."

"I am." I yawned, the motion of the swing putting me to sleep.

"Oh, I didn't realize how late it was. I'm sorry."

"No, Jack, it's fine." I stood up and walked around the yard, trying to keep myself awake. I wasn't ready to hang up yet.

"But if you've been sick, you need your sleep." I could hear concern in his voice.

"We've barely been able to talk to each other since you left. I don't want to hang up yet."

"How about this? You go get ready for bed, and we can talk until you fall asleep."

"Sounds perfect." I was already walking back into the house before I finished speaking.

I put the phone on speaker while I changed into my pajamas and brushed my teeth. He asked about the dogs and Alina and my students. I asked about his work and the town he was staying in.

I set the phone on his pillow and closed my eyes. It almost felt like he was there with me, until I reached out and my hand met empty space.

"Our bed feels so empty." I pulled the quilt up to my chin, my mind growing foggy with fatigue.

"I know what you mean. I've had a hard time sleeping without you, too. But just a little while longer, then I'll be back beside you again."

"I can't wait." I sighed. "I love you, Jack."

"I love you, Beth. Now please, try to sleep. I'll stay on the line until you fall asleep."

"Okay."

I rested my hand on my stomach, falling asleep to the sound of Jack humming softly and the thought of our baby growing inside of me.


	21. Chapter 21

It had been a week since I had last spoken to Jack when the doorbell rang. Rip gave a low bark. I reached down, patting his head as I walked past him toward the door. My heart sank when I saw who stood on the other side of the door.

"Elizabeth Thornton?" One of the officers spoke.

"Yes?"

"I'm very sorry." He continued speaking, but the words became muffled. I didn't need to hear his words to know what he was saying.

The world seemed to spin around me. I slid to the floor, my stomach heaving. Jack hadn't given me many details about the work he had gone to do, but I knew there was probably some danger involved. Jack would do anything to help someone, even if he knew he would be harmed in the process. I had learned that about him when he was injured after the storm.

I felt numb. One of the officers had knelt down, trying to comfort me. Silent tears rolled down my cheeks. He had been fine just a few days ago, but now he was gone. I was alone, _we_ were alone. My hand moved to my stomach, my mind on the baby. I couldn't do this without Jack. I couldn't raise his child by myself.

He didn't even know I was pregnant. He would never know.

It wasn't fair. We barely got a chance to be married. We had so many plans for our lives, plans that would no longer be fulfilled.

...

I woke with a start. Tears stained my cheeks. I took me a moment to fully comprehend the situation. It had all been a dream, a horrible dream.

Bronte whimpered beside me, as if she recognized the distress I was feeling after the nightmare. I took a shaky breath, trying to calm myself, my heart still racing. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, but I knew that I wouldn't be able to find sleep again. I wrapped myself in a blanket and walked to the back porch.

Even though it had just been a nightmare, I couldn't quite shake the feelings that it brought on. I knew Jack's job could be dangerous; he never tried to hide that from me. Since we met, he had been seriously injured once, and I knew that wasn't the first time he'd been hurt on the job. I tried not to think about the chance that he could be killed, though. The last time I had really thought about that, things almost ended between us.

It was too hard to think about a life without Jack. He was everything to me. I returned to the bedroom and pulled one of Jack's shirts from the dresser. I held it to my face, inhaling his scent, trying to feel closer to him. Tears filled my eyes. He couldn't come home soon enough. I just had to make it through a few more days.

I was suddenly overcome by a wave of nausea. My thoughts were pulled away from the nightmare as I ran to the bathroom.

I considered calling in sick, but I decided that I needed the distraction of the students to keep from losing myself in the fear.

My students were on their best behavior all day, as if they knew I had had a difficult morning. I tried to keep the down time to a minimum. The less time I had to sit and think, the better.

I drove straight home once the school day was over. I felt as though I was just going through the motions, waiting for it to be late enough for me to justify going to bed. I sat on the couch and turned on the TV, but I didn't pay any attention to what was airing.

I had been pretty successful at keeping myself distracted while I was at school, but now that I was home without the distraction of my students, I found my thoughts drawn back to the nightmare. I looked at the pictures of me and Jack on the wall, imagining a life where those pictures were all I had left of him. My stomach heaved, and I didn't know if it was because of the pregnancy or the thought of losing Jack.

The doorbell rang as I was returning from the bathroom. My stomach dropped as I immediately thought the worst. My hands shook as I turned the knob.

I froze when I opened the door. "Jack," I breathed his name, my voice barely audible.

"I know I said I wouldn't be home until the end of the week, but we finished early and I wanted to surprise you." He pulled me into a hug.

"Jack…" I burst into tears, expressing the emotions I had been feeling since I was awakened by the nightmare.

"Hey, what's going on?" His eyes were filled with concern.

"Nothing. I just missed you." I tilted my head up to kiss him.

"I missed you, too, Beth. So much." He kissed me again. "That was way too long to be away from my wife."

I smiled and wiped the tears from my cheeks. "I still can't believe we're married." I looked down at the ring on my left hand. "Come on, it's been a month since I've seen you." I took his hand and pulled him into the house. "I need some time alone with my husband."

...

"Elizabeth," Jack lay beside me, tracing circles on my arm, "are you sure you're okay?"

I sighed. "I'm fine now, really. I just had a nightmare last night, and it really threw me off."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling, pulling the sheet up to my chin. I couldn't look at him while I explained the dream. I didn't mention the baby; now was not the time to break that news to him. I finished speaking, and he was quiet.

He reached over and touched my cheek, turning my head to face him. "Beth, I'm so sorry." He pulled me into his arms. "I don't even know what to say to make you feel better."

"You don't need to say anything." I kissed him. "Your being here beside me is more than enough."

I fell asleep in his arms, feeling more peaceful than I had in weeks.

I woke a few hours later to an empty bed, wondering if it had all been a dream.

"Elizabeth?" Jack peeked into our room, noticing that I was awake. "Why is the guest room locked?"

Butterflies filled my stomach knowing what was hidden in that room. "It's the middle of the night. Why do you need to get into the guest room?"

"I couldn't sleep. I was thinking about something that's in one of my boxes, and I wanted to see if I could find it. So why is it locked?"

"Well, um…" I pulled on my robe, grabbed a key from my nightstand, and joined him in the hallway. He tried jiggling the doorknob. I put my hand on his. "Just wait." I put the key in the lock. "There's something I need to tell you."

"What are you hiding in there?" He raised his eyebrows. "This isn't a _Jane Eyre_ situation, is it? I'm not going to find your poor sick ex in here?"

I laughed. "No, Jack. I'm not hiding a person in there." I sighed and pushed the door open. "The guest room was locked because I'm starting to store things in it that will eventually go in the nursery, and I didn't want you to see everything before I had a chance to tell you."

"The nursery? Getting a little eager, are we? Do we need a nursery before we even start trying?"

"Jack." The corners of my lips turned up.

"I guess it makes sense. Start collecting things now, and we have less to worry about later."

"Jack." I touched his cheek, trying to get him to slow down and process what I had just said.

He stood in silence for a moment, clearly deep in thought. "Wait, Elizabeth." He put his hands on my shoulders and met my gaze. "Are you already…? Are we…?"

I nodded, tears filling my eyes. He laughed and threw his arms around me.

He pulled me into a kiss. "I love you, Elizabeth."

"I love you, too. See, I told you I'm not hiding a person in there. The only person I'm hiding is in here." I smirked as I brought his hand to my stomach.

He kissed me again before he leaned down and kissed my stomach. "Hi, baby. I'm your dad. I love you so much."

"Come on," I led him into the room. "I'll show you what I have so far."

I started removing things from the box that sat on the bed: a quilt that Abigail had given me the day after I told her the news, a tiny sweater I had just finished knitting the previous day, a small stuffed bear that had been mine when I was a child. Jack carefully examined each item I handed to him.

"I just can't believe that we're actually going to have a baby." He held up the sweater. "It'll really be this small?"

I chuckled, nodding. "Yes, newborn babies are typically really small. Don't you remember how tiny Alina was?"

"Well, yeah, but it's different to think about it when it's our baby."

I smiled. " _Our_ baby. I love that."

"Does anyone else know?"

"Just Abigail. When I started thinking that maybe I wasn't just sick, I talked to her. She's the one who made me take a test, because I was nervous to find out for sure." I picked up the quilt. "This is actually from her. It was her son's when he was little."

"Wait, Elizabeth. You were nervous to find out for sure? Why?"

"I don't really know. Maybe because I just wanted to talk to you about it, but I couldn't. But I am so, so happy about this, Jack. I really am. Even though this is happening way sooner than we planned."

He pulled me into his arms and kissed my cheek. "I'm sorry I wasn't here when you found out."

I shook my head. "Jack Thornton, don't be sorry for doing your job. I know you would've been here if you had a choice."

"How long have you known?" He brushed his hand across my stomach.

"A little over a week."

"So the day I called?"

I nodded, placing my hand on top of his. "I knew then. I wanted to tell you that day, but I knew it would just make you worry more. Besides, I knew it wouldn't be much longer before you came home and I could tell you in person."

"You're right. I would've worried." He smiled and kissed my forehead. "But I still wish you would've told me then."

He laughed softly.

"What?" I looked at him curiously.

"I guess it's too late to have that conversation about changing our timeline."

"Maybe just a little. It's strange to think that I was already pregnant when I mentioned that."

He pulled me against his chest, brushing his thumbs back and forth on my stomach. His breath tickled my ear as he spoke. "This is much more satisfying knowing that there actually is something in there now."

I giggled. "You've been waiting so long for this."

He kissed the top of my head. "You have no idea. I've been imagining you carrying my child for so long now."

"And you wasted no time in making that happen." I grinned and put my hands on top of his.

"Hey, it takes two to make a baby."

"Oh, I'm fully aware of that." I turned to face him. "And there is no one else I'd rather make a baby with."

"Good." He kissed my nose and took my hand, leading me back to our room.

...

Jack rolled over and met my gaze. "Beth, why are you awake?"

"Just thinking." I smiled.

"About?" He slipped his hand beneath my shirt, his fingers tracing circles on my bare stomach.

"A year ago, we hadn't even met. Now we're married and expecting a baby. I just never expected my life to be like this when I decided to come to Hope Valley."

"You don't have any regrets with how quickly everything happened, do you?"

I shook my head and leaned in to kiss him. "No way. I would've married you even sooner had you asked me. You and this baby," I put my hands on my stomach, "you two are the best things in my life. Granted, I never expected to be pregnant this soon after our wedding, but don't think I ever regret any of this. I love you, Jack Thornton. I will always love you."

"Elizabeth…" He moved his hand behind my head, running his fingers through my hair. "I love you so much."

"Jack, thank you for changing my mind."

"About what?"

I leaned into him, and he held me close. "When I tried to run because I got scared. Thank you for convincing me that we were worth it."

"I knew you were going to be my wife someday. I just had to find a way to make sure you knew that, too." He kissed my forehead. "Now go back to sleep. You need to rest up if you're going to be growing this baby of ours."

I pulled his hand to my stomach. "You are going to be the very best father, Jack Thornton."


	22. Chapter 22

A/N Thanks for all the sweet comments! I'm having so much fun writing about J&E preparing for baby T (if you've read my other story, you know that I absolutely love writing about E being pregnant). I hope you all enjoy reading about this growing family!

...

I leaned back on the paper-covered exam table while the technician prepared the ultrasound machine. Jack sat beside me, running his fingers through my hair.

"Okay, let's take a look at this baby."

A few moments later, an image appeared on the screen. Tears filled my eyes as I saw my baby for the first time. All I could think was that the tiny bean-shaped spot on the screen was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.

The technician clicked a few buttons, and the room was filled with the whooshing sound of the baby's heartbeat. Jack squeezed my hand, tears glistening in his eyes.

The technician smiled. "That's a good strong heartbeat. Now, let's see if we can get this little one to stay still so we can get some measurements." She clicked a few more buttons. "So, with these measurements, I'd put you at nine weeks."

"And everything looks good?" Jack squeezed my hand again as he spoke.

She nodded. "It looks like everything is right on track." She pointed at the screen. "That's the head right there, and if you can see here, it looks like the little one is waving at you."

I laughed softly as I watched the baby's tiny arm moving on the screen.

The technician checked a few more things and took some photos before sending us on our way.

Jack slid into the driver's side of the car after helping me into the passenger seat. He glanced over at me, a grin on his face. "I'm so glad I got to be there for that."

"Me too." I leaned over and kissed him. "It feels so much more real now. We just saw our baby, Jack. There's actually a little person growing inside me, a little person that we made together."

He kissed me again. "I love you, Elizabeth."

While Jack drove, I looked at the pictures that the technician had given us. I could just make out the baby's arms and legs. I moved my hand across my stomach, amazed that the tiny baby in the pictures was really inside me, getting bigger every day. In seven months, that tiny baby would be in my arms. I couldn't wait.

...

"Thanks for inviting me over." Rosemary hugged me, taking care not to squish the baby in her arms. "And thank you for letting me bring Alina."

"Of course. I'll take any excuse to see my girl."

She passed the baby to me, and we settled on the sofa. As I looked down at the baby in my arms, I thought about the baby I was carrying inside me, and a smile played on my lips. I knew I couldn't wait any longer to tell her.

"So, I actually invited you over because I have some news… I was going to wait until a little later to tell you, but I can't wait anymore." I took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."

"What?!" Rosemary squealed with excitement. "Congratulations! I didn't know you guys were trying right away."

I shook my head. "We weren't. I guess this is a lesson on how things don't always go according to plan." I laughed softly.

"How far along are you?"

"About two months."

"Haven't you only been married for two months?" She raised her eyebrows.

I felt my cheeks color. "Yes, but…"

She shook her head. "You don't need to explain yourself. I get it." She smirked. "I am so happy for you, Elizabeth."

"Thank you, Rosie. Now, you and Abigail know, and Jack said he'll tell Lee today, but no one else knows. So you have to promise you won't say anything to anyone. We aren't even telling our families until the holidays."

"My lips are sealed." She grinned. "Oh, this is so exciting! Alina will have a new little friend." She reached over and touched her daughter's hand. "Did you hear that, sweet pea? Auntie Beth and Uncle Jack are giving you a friend!"

"I'm due in June, so this little one," I put one hand on my stomach, "should only be about eight and a half months younger than Alina."

"Who would've guessed that we would have babies less than a year apart? You hadn't even met Jack when I got pregnant."

"Wow, you're right." I smiled. "But I wouldn't have it any other way."

"So is this why you took off work for a few days a couple weeks back?"

"Yes, _nosy Rosie_." I smirked.

"Hey, I've been your neighbor for over two years; I know your schedule pretty well. I just happened to be taking a walk with Alina, and I noticed your car in the driveway in the middle of the day."

"Yeah, the morning sickness has not been fun. I hate that I had to take off work because of it. I mostly have it under control now, though."

"I do not miss that. But let me tell you, all the sickness and pain is totally worth it when that baby is finally in your arms."

Alina started fussing in my arms, and Rosemary reached for her.

"I'm sorry, she's hungry."

"Don't apologize, Rosie."

She resituated herself so she could feed the baby. "I'm surprised she's not like thirty pounds at this point." She laughed softly. "It seems like she's always hungry. I think she inherited Lee's appetite."

I brushed my hand across my stomach, wondering what my baby would be like. Would it be a girl or a boy? Blue eyes like me or hazel like Jack? Would the baby have curly hair and dimples? Would the baby inherit my stubbornness? Or Jack's sense of humor?

"Elizabeth?" Rosemary's voice drew me from my thoughts. She smiled. "Thinking about your baby?"

I nodded. "Just wondering what this little one is going to be like."

"Well, you'll be finding out before you know it."

...

I passed the stockings to Jack, and he hung them on the mantle.

"I guess next year, we'll need another one of these for baby T."

"Baby T?" I looked over at him with my eyebrows raised.

"Baby Thornton. I figure we need a nickname or something until we decide on an actual name for the little one." He moved toward me and placed his hand on my stomach.

"Do you think we should we find out what we're having?"

"Well, I kind of assumed we were having a baby."

I rolled my eyes. "Ha. Ha. You know what I mean."

"I'll leave that decision up to you. I really don't care either way."

"I don't know." I pulled some more decorations from the box. "I kind of like the idea of having it be a surprise, but I also feel like it would make planning easier if we knew."

"We have time to decide, don't we?"

I nodded. "We wouldn't be able to find out until I'm about twenty weeks, so sometime in January or February." I slipped my hand into his. "Jack, I just realized this messes up some of our plans."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll be six months pregnant in March. It may not be a great idea to go to Vancouver then. I mean, it would probably be okay, but I don't know how I'll be feeling then."

He kissed my temple. "I'll take you there some other time, then."

"And we probably won't be able to go camping for your birthday, since the baby will only be a few months old."

"Elizabeth." He pulled me into his arms. "We have plenty of time to figure all of this out. Don't worry about it right now. Besides, I don't care if we don't get to do those things. This baby will be so much better than any trips we could take."

"I seriously don't know how I was lucky enough to find you, Jack Thornton."

He brushed his thumb across my lips before he leaned in and kissed me gently. "How many times do I have to tell you that _I'm_ the lucky one?" He slipped his fingers under my shirt, and heat spread from his fingertips as he kissed me again.

I took his hand and moved toward the stairs. "We can finish decorating later."

...

I rolled over and snuggled into Jack's chest, pulling the quilt higher. "What do you think of Jane?"

"Hmm?" He slid his arm around me, resting his hand on the small of my back.

"If the baby's a girl. Jane Thornton."

"After _Jane Eyre_?"

"Well… yeah."

He brushed his fingers through my hair. "How about Jane for a middle name?"

"I guess I can compromise." I kissed his chest. "Do you have any ideas for names?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I kind of like Nora. Or Evelyn. Maybe Charlotte or Grace after one of our moms."

"What if we have a boy?"

"Well, that's easy. If it's a boy, we call him Jack Junior."

He smirked, and I rolled my eyes. "We'll see."

"In all seriousness, though, I think William and Thomas should be in the running, after our dads."

"Okay." I raised my head and kissed his chin. "If Jane is in the running for girl's names, then I also want Edward in the running for boy's names."

"After Edward Fairfax Rochester?"

"What can I say? I _really_ like that book."

He kissed the top of my head. "All our kids are going to be named after book characters, aren't they?"

"If you don't like those names, we don't have to use them. They're just suggestions. I want us to agree on names." I brought my arm around his shoulder.

"I'm kidding, Elizabeth. I like those names. Besides, we have six and a half more months to decide on a name we both love." He lifted my chin and kissed me softly. "Enough talk about names right now."

"You read my mind, Mr. Thornton."

...

Jack had one hand on the steering wheel, the other held mine.

"It was nice of your mom to invite us for Thanksgiving."

He nodded. "It gives us a really good opportunity to tell her about the baby."

I expected him to look happy. After all, we were about to tell his mother that she was just months away from meeting her first grandchild. Instead, he looked almost sad.

"Hey." I squeezed his hand. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. I'm just thinking about my dad. There's something about holidays that makes me miss him more than normal." His voice was quiet, as if he was trying to keep it from breaking. "And now that we're expecting a baby, I'm thinking about how much he's missed, how much he's going to miss."

I kissed his fingers. "I wish I could've met him."

"He would've loved you." The corners of his mouth crept up. "He would've thought you were too good for me."

"Don't you mean he would've thought _you_ were too good for _me_?"

He laughed softly. "Nope. I meant what I said." He quickly met my eyes and gave me a smile before turning his attention back to the road.

I smiled and brought my hand to my stomach. We were both quiet for the rest of the drive, content just to be near each other.

...

We all stood at the counter, working on various parts of the meal.

Jack finally spoke up. "I have a question for you, mom."

"Yes?" She looked up at him, a little wary.

"Which do you prefer: grandma or nana?"

"Hmm… I haven't really thought about it before."

Jack grinned and looked over at me as he waited for her to process his question.

"Wait. Why are you asking me this? Are you telling me…?" She turned toward me. "Are you pregnant?"

I nodded and moved my hands to my stomach. "Due in June."

"Oh, Lizzy!" She wrapped me in a hug. "Congratulations."

"Thank you, Charlotte. We're very excited."

"So can you believe you're going to be a grandma?" Jack put his arm around her.

"Grandma Charlotte." A smile stretched across her face. "I think that sounds pretty good." She hugged Jack. "Your father would be so proud of you, son. He would've loved being a grandpa."

Jack nodded, tears filling his eyes. "He would've been the best grandpa." He turned back toward me. "No offense to your dad, Elizabeth." He laughed and wiped his eyes.

I stepped over and linked my hands behind his back. "I'm sure your dad would've been a wonderful grandfather to our baby."

He wiped a tear from my cheek. "Okay, enough of this sentimental stuff. All of this food is going to burn."

A little while later, the three of us sat around the table. Jack said grace before we passed the dishes of food around.

Jack kept one hand on my leg under the table as we ate. I thought back to Thanksgiving just a year before. I had spent the holiday with Rosemary, Lee, Abigail, Cody, and Becky. I didn't even know Jack existed.

Now, just a year later, I was sitting in his mother's house. I was his wife. His child was growing inside me. I had so much to be thankful for.


	23. Chapter 23

Jack kissed my cheek as he passed me on his way to our room. "Hi, Beth."

I grabbed his arm and pulled him to me, kissing him soundly. "Hi."

"Give me a minute to change out of my uniform, and I'll be back to help with the decorations."

"Okay."

I stepped into the spare room, pulling a box from the closet. I smiled as I glanced around the room, knowing that it would soon be our baby's nursery. I made my way back downstairs, and everything suddenly went dark.

A moment later, I came to. "Jack?!" I sat at the foot of the stairs, my hand going numb. Tears stung my eyes. "Jack…" My voice cracked.

"Elizabeth?" He rushed down the stairs when he saw me. "What happened?"

I took a deep breath. "I think I fainted and missed the last step and fell. I can't feel my hand. Take me to the hospital, please."

He lifted me in his arms and carried me to the car. He kept glancing at me as he drove. "How are you doing?"

I felt on the verge of breaking into tears. "Jack, what if something happened to the baby when I fell? What if…?" I couldn't finish the thought. "I couldn't live with myself if something happened. It's my fault."

"Elizabeth…" He reached over and touched my leg. "I would tell you not to worry about that, but I know that won't stop you. We can ask the doctor to check on the baby while we're there, okay?"

I nodded and put my good hand on my stomach. The numbness in my wrist was dissipating, being replaced by pain. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to will away the tears I felt forming.

Jack walked me into the emergency room, careful not to bump my wrist. He filled out paperwork while I explained what happened to a doctor. I begged the doctor to check on the baby first, and he finally agreed. He put a splint on my wrist before sending me to have an ultrasound.

Jack sat beside the bed while the technician checked on the baby. It seemed to take forever before the technician found the baby and we finally heard a heartbeat.

Jack squeezed my hand, and I felt tears rush down my face. Our baby was okay.

We left the hospital a few hours later, my wrist secured in a blue cast. I had fractured a bone in my wrist and would be required to remain in the cast for four weeks; if everything went well, it would be off just before Christmas. Thankfully, it wasn't on my dominant arm, so I wouldn't have any trouble in the classroom.

I was still worried about the baby. Even though we had heard the heartbeat, I still felt like something was going to go wrong. The doctors reassured me that everything looked perfect, but they had instructed me to take it easy for a few weeks.

When we returned home, Jack helped me up to our room and into the bed, insisting that I spend the remainder of the day resting. He kissed my forehead and pulled the quilt up to cover me.

"I'm going to let the dogs out and get you a glass of water. I'll be right back."

I curled up on my side and took a deep breath, trying to keep my emotions in check. I closed my eyes when I heard Jack's footsteps on the stairs. I didn't want to talk, and I hoped that he would think I had fallen asleep.

"Elizabeth?"

I didn't move when he spoke. I heard him set the glass of water on the nightstand before he slid into the bed beside me. He draped his arm across me, resting his hand on my stomach.

"It's going to be okay, Beth." His voice was soft, soothing.

I rolled over to face him, tucking my head beneath his chin. "I don't want to talk about it."

"That's okay. We don't have to. But I'm still here if you change your mind."

I shook my head. "I just want you to hold me."

He kissed the top of my head and brought his arms around me, pulling me close.

...

I got up in the middle of the night and pulled on my robe, having been unable to sleep. I sat on the couch, staring at the stockings hanging above the fireplace. Jack had surprised me the day before with a stocking for the baby. It hung between ours, a reminder of what we could have lost.

I brought my hand to my stomach. "Hi, baby. I'm so sorry that I almost hurt you today." Tears filled my eyes. My only job was to keep the baby safe and warm and healthy, and I jeopardized that. Even though it had been an accident, I still felt like it was my fault. Things could have ended so differently. "Your dad and I love you so, so much. I'm so happy that you're okay. Please stay okay."

The longer I sat on the sofa, the more I realized that I was not going to sleep any more that night. I tightened my robe and headed toward the kitchen.

Twenty minutes later, I slid a tray of cookies into the oven. I sat on the floor, leaning back against the cabinets while I watched them bake.

"Beth, what are you doing? It's the middle of the night." Jack rubbed his eyes as he entered the room.

"I couldn't sleep. I bake when I can't sleep."

He helped me up, pulling me into his embrace. "Everything is going to be okay."

I took a shaky breath, tears rolling down my cheeks as all of my emotions from the day were released. "I know, but we could've lost the baby."

"But we didn't." He put his hand on my stomach. "Our little one is still snug and warm and healthy in there."

I leaned my head on his shoulder. "I love you, Jack."

"I love you, too." He kissed my temple.

We stood in silence for a few minutes, his arms around my waist, holding me close. I closed my eyes and breathed him in, relishing the warmth of his body against mine. He lifted my chin and kissed me softly.

I stood on my toes and kissed him again, linking my hands behind his neck as best as I could with the cast on my arm, playing with the hair on the back of his head.

I leaned my head on his chest. We swayed slowly, dancing in the dim light shining above the stove. I felt his heartbeat beneath my cheek as he tightened his arms around me.

The oven buzzed, interrupting us.

He let out a quiet laugh as he pulled back from me. I took the cookies out of the oven and put them in a container before they had time to cool. I just wanted to get back to my husband.

I slipped my fingers into his hand. "Let's go back to bed."

"I thought you said you couldn't sleep."

"I never said anything about sleeping." I smiled mischievously and headed up the stairs, feeling Jack follow close behind me.

...

Jack's fingertips danced across the bare skin of my back as the early morning light began to stream through the window. He brushed his lips against my nose.

"So, you bake when you can't sleep? That's new information."

"I don't do it often, but yes." I snuggled into his chest. "Actually, the last time I did that was shortly after I met you."

"Oh, really?"

"Mhmm. I _might_ have had some trouble sleeping because I couldn't stop thinking about a certain sheriff who had just moved next door…"

"Was that when you brought me cookies?" He slipped his fingers through mine.

I nodded. "I figured that it was only fair to give you some since you were the reason I baked them in the first place."

"So that wasn't something you do for everyone?"

"Nope." I touched his cheek. "Just for you."

"Well, I appreciated the gesture, but did you have to bring them by so early in the morning?" He smirked.

"I had to give them to you before I chickened out." I kissed his chest. "Besides, it gave me a glimpse of my future."

"Your future?"

"That was the first time I got to see how cute you look with your bedhead." I ran my fingers through his hair. "And I'm so happy that wasn't the last time."

"Well, I'm glad my bedhead didn't scare you away."

I kissed him deeply. "Never."

He brought his hand to my cheek. "You are so beautiful, Beth." He moved his lips across my face and down to my shoulder.

"Jack." I gently pushed him away. "We should probably get up and get ready for church."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay here and rest?"

"I rested all yesterday evening. Besides, if we stay in this bed much longer, we aren't going to be resting."

He pulled me back to his chest. "But it's so cold outside and so warm in this bed." He kissed me. "So warm with you."

I kissed his nose and untangled myself from his arms. "Well, I'm going to church today, so I'm going to wrap my cast and hop in the shower. You can stay home if you want." I turned back around once I reached the bathroom door. "Or you can join me. It'll be warm in the shower."

It was comical how quickly he jumped from the bed and ran past me into the bathroom.

...

After church, Jack and I headed over to the café for lunch with our friends.

As soon as we got to Abigail's, I quickly excused myself and hurried to the bathroom. A few minutes later, Jack tapped on the door and found me sitting on the floor, leaning back against the wall.

I smiled weakly. "I guess the morning sickness isn't over yet."

He sat beside me and handed me some crackers and a glass of water. "I'm sorry."

I shook my head. "This will all be worth it when we finally get to see him and hold him."

"Him?"

I shrugged, brushing my hand across my stomach. "I don't know. I just have a feeling that it's a boy. I could be wrong." I took a sip of water. "Did anyone out there suspect anything?"

"I don't think so. Rosemary, Lee, and Abigail already know. Jesse and Clara weren't here yet, and I don't think the kids would know what morning sickness is, anyway. Faith might put the pieces together, but I'm not sure she was even paying attention, because Carson got here right after we did."

I smiled. "How long do you think it'll be before those two admit there's something between them?"

He laughed quietly. "Who knows. I think everyone sees something there except for them."

"I think they'd be good for each other." I took his hand. "My stomach is feeling better, so we should probably get back out there before they start to wonder what's taking us so long."

He helped me up from the floor and kissed my forehead. "I love you. I know it hasn't been easy, but thank you for carrying our baby."

"Jack Thornton, you are my favorite person in the entire world." I kissed him. "I love you so much."

He took my hand and started to lead me back to the dining room.

"Jack, wait."

"What is it?" He stepped closer.

"Maybe we should just tell everyone. Half of them know already, anyway, and then we wouldn't have to come up with an excuse as to why we were back here for so long."

"I'm fine with telling them."

I took a deep breath. "Okay, let's do this."

Jack pulled out my chair for me when we returned to the dining room.

"Sorry about that, everyone. Morning sickness can be rough."

Abigail and Rosemary smiled knowingly.

"Did you just say 'morning sickness'?" Faith looked at me curiously.

Clara's eyes lit up. "You're pregnant?"

I nodded, a smile stretching across my face. "I'm almost twelve weeks, due in June."

"Congratulations" came from multiple people around the table.

Jack squeezed my hand. By the look on his face, I knew that he was thinking about how proud and excited he was to be a father. He was going to be a great one.


	24. Chapter 24

A/N Happy Holidays, everyone! This is the first of two Christmas themed chapters; the second one will be posted next week. I hope you enjoy!

...

I slipped my arm into Jack's as we walked, thankful that I no longer had a cast encasing my wrist. Everything had gone well in the weeks following my accident. The doctor wasn't sure what exactly had caused me to pass out, but he suspected that it was likely just a complication of the pregnancy.

The snow crunched beneath our feet as we continued down the sidewalk. "I'm so happy that our first Christmas together is a snowy one."

"Me too." I stopped walking and closed the gap between us. "I love snow."

"I love _you_." He kissed my hair. We continued walking in silence for a few moments.

"Just think, next Christmas, we'll have a six-month-old baby." I put my hand on my stomach, thinking about the baby that was growing inside me.

"I can't wait."

"You know, we'll need to start telling people when we get back from St. Louis. I know we've already told most of our friends, but I'll need to tell my students and coworkers. I'm already starting to show a little." The tiny bump was invisible under my coat, but I knew it was there.

We stopped at the end of the street and turned back toward home. "Are you nervous to tell your parents?"

"Not as nervous as I was to tell them we got engaged four months after we met and were getting married three months later."

He laughed quietly. "We did move very quickly."

"Also, you're the one who got me pregnant by accident, so if they're going to be upset with anyone, it'll be you." I winked at him and laughed.

"I know you're joking, but seriously, what if they are upset with me?"

"Jack, they adore you. Everything will be fine. Besides, they'd have to be upset with me, too, because obviously it took both of us to make this baby. Plus, they can't be angry about getting another grandchild."

"That's true." He glanced down at his watch. "Oh, we need to hurry and get changed or we'll be late for church."

...

I stood in front of the mirror, pulling my dress tight against my belly. I smiled at the evidence of the life growing inside of me, the life that Jack and I had created together.

"Elizabeth, we need to get going." He poked his head into the bathroom.

"Jack, look." My eyes were drawn back to my belly. "Obviously, I've known that our baby is in there, but now it's even more real."

He put his hands on my waist, brushing his thumbs across my stomach. "You are so beautiful, Beth. Thank you for carrying our child." He ducked down to kiss my stomach, then stood and kissed my forehead. "So beautiful."

I put my hand on top of his and leaned up to kiss him. "Let's get to church."

Abigail smiled as we slipped into the pew beside her. "Hello, you two. I didn't expect to see you tonight. I thought you were going to your parents' house for Christmas."

"We're heading up there tomorrow afternoon. We decided we wanted to spend our first Christmas morning with just the two of us."

"That sounds nice. Enjoy the time alone while you can."

Jack squeezed my hand, and I touched my stomach lightly. I leaned on Jack's shoulder as the service began, my hand still on my stomach. I loved hearing his voice in my ear as we sang familiar Christmas hymns. Butterflies filled my stomach when he reached over to steady my hand as we lit our candles for the final hymn. I loved that he still stirred up those feelings, even months after our wedding.

We were quiet as we walked toward the car, feeling completely at peace.

...

I woke with my head resting on Jack's chest. The fire burned low in the fireplace. I rolled onto my side and groaned, stiff from sleeping on the floor.

Jack stirred. "Mm, good morning." He kissed me gently.

"Morning." I kissed him back. "Merry Christmas."

He stretched. "Sleeping down here seemed like a good idea last night. Not so much this morning."

"We should probably get up so it doesn't get any worse."

"Mm, five more minutes." He pulled me closer.

Bronte ran over and shoved her head between us. I laughed as she covered my face with sloppy kisses.

"I guess it must be time for breakfast." I kissed Jack one more time before I stood up and moved toward the kitchen.

Bronte and Rip followed me, waiting to be fed. I heard Jack groan from the living room as he got up. I laughed softly. He was right; sleeping by the fireplace was better in theory than in reality. I filled the dog bowls and pulled cinnamon rolls from the fridge.

Jack entered the room, wrapping his arms around me and kissing my neck. "Mm, what are you making?"

"I thought we'd have some cinnamon rolls since it's Christmas. It was a tradition in my family when I was growing up: cinnamon rolls for Christmas and Easter."

"That sounds like a delicious tradition."

I placed the already-made rolls onto a pan and slid it into the oven. "Maybe once our kids are a bit older, we can all make the cinnamon rolls from scratch."

"Can I wear an apron while we make these cinnamon rolls from scratch?"

I scrunched my nose and smiled. "I won't let you help _unless_ you're wearing an apron." I turned to face him, kissing him softly. "Our kids are going to think we're so weird."

"Well, good, because I think our job as parents is to make sure our kids think we're weird." He grinned and kissed me again. "How long until the cinnamon rolls are ready?"

"About fifteen minutes. Why?"

He was quiet for a moment, looking lost in thought. "It can wait."

"What can wait?"

He gave me a mischievous smile. "Oh, don't worry. You'll like it."

My face warmed. "Hmm, maybe after we eat, I'll put your present on."

"Elizabeth Thornton…" He kissed me deeply. "Mm, maybe we should just skip the cinnamon rolls."

"Patience, babe."

...

I opened my eyes slowly. "Mm, Jack. You weren't supposed to let me fall asleep."

He brushed the hair from my face. "You looked so peaceful. I didn't want to wake you. Besides, you need to sleep for the baby."

"But we have so much to do. We need to get everything in the car and drop the dogs next door and get on the road."

"Shh." He pulled me to his chest, moving his hand up and down my back. "Relax. Everything will get done. We'll get there."

I closed my eyes again and took a deep breath. "Okay, enough relaxing. We need to get up."

Jack just smiled and shook his head as he watched me slip out of the bed and pull on my robe.

Later that evening, we were nearing our destination.

Snowflakes fell, illuminated by the streetlights, as we drove down the street toward my parents' house. Christmas music played softly on the radio. The houses we passed were adorned with colored lights and wreaths.

"My mom said Julie should be there when we arrive. Vi and Lionel are coming up tomorrow with the baby." I smiled, bringing my hand to my stomach. "It's crazy to think that next year, we'll be bringing _our_ baby."

Jack squeezed my hand and smiled but didn't say anything.

"Okay, you turn left up here, and then you'll follow that street all the way to the house."

A few moments later, we pulled in the driveway. Jack put the car in park and stared at the house. He took a deep breath. "I knew you grew up with money, but this house…"

"I know. It's a big house. Come on, they're waiting for us."

He walked around the car and opened my door.

"Thank you. Hey," I put my hands on his arms. "I love you."

He leaned in and kissed me. "I love you, too."

"Time to go tell my family we're having a honeymoon baby."

"Oh, they're going to hate me." He laughed and put his arm around me. We slowly made our way to the front door.

"We don't have to tell them right away. I wore a loose sweater on purpose. Maybe right before we go to bed?"

He nodded.

Julie opened the door before we had a chance to ring the bell. She pulled me into a hug. "Elizabeth, I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too."

"Jack, it's good to see you again."

"You, too, Julie."

She ushered us through the door. "Mom and dad are in the living room."

Jack followed us through the entryway and into the living room.

"Jack and Elizabeth are here."

My mom immediately pulled me into her embrace. "It's so good to see you, sweetheart." She turned to Jack, pulling him into her arms as well. "You, too, Jack."

"I hope you've been taking good care of our daughter." My dad shook his hand.

"Yes, sir."

"Why don't you take off your coats and get comfortable?"

I held my breath as I handed my coat to my dad, praying that they wouldn't notice my belly before I had the chance to tell them about the baby.

Jack squeezed my hand, and I released my breath, relieved that my baggy sweater seemed to work at hiding the small bump.

After dinner, we all sat in the living room by the fire, watching a Christmas movie on TV. I fell asleep on the sofa, my head on Jack's lap.

"Hey, Beth." Jack touched my cheek. "Why don't we go up to bed?"

"Mm, but I'm comfortable here."

He leaned in and kissed me softly. "You'll be more comfortable upstairs."

"Okay." I sat up slowly. "Should we tell them?"

"If you want to."

I stood and took a deep breath. "I think Jack and I are going to head up to bed. But first, we have some news."

My father put down his newspaper and looked up. Julie's eyes lit up, as if she already knew what I was going to say. My mother put down her knitting.

"I'm pregnant."

"Congratulations!" Julie jumped up and threw her arms around me.

My mother smiled. "That is great news. When are you due?"

"June."

"That soon?" My mother raised her eyebrows.

Jack put his arm around me protectively. I shrugged. "Well, you know, sometimes things don't go according to plan." I covered my mouth while I yawned. "I'm sorry, but can we talk more in the morning? I'm exhausted."

We bid everyone good night before I led Jack up the stairs and down the hall.

I opened the door to my childhood bedroom. Jack was quiet, walking slowly through the room, looking at the pictures that hung on the walls. My parents hadn't changed the room when I moved away. I was fairly certain they had hoped I would change my mind and move back home.

I changed into my pajamas and slipped into the bed. Jack followed soon after.

"I can't believe you grew up here and willingly moved somewhere like Hope Valley."

I shrugged. "It was always comfortable here, but I needed to get out of my comfort zone. Moving to Hope Valley was the second best decision I've ever made."

"Second best?" He looked at me curiously. "What was the best?"

"Marrying you." I kissed him.

He pulled me close. "I love you."

...

I snuggled into Jack's chest, pulling the comforter higher. "Mm, this is weird."

"What is?"

"When I was growing up, I wasn't allowed to have boys in my room. Not that I ever wanted to bring a boy in here, but still. And now, not only are you in my room, you're in my _bed_. It just feels like I'm breaking a rule or something."

He lifted my chin. "What if I do this?" He pressed his lips to mine.

"Well, that just breaks all the rules." I kissed him again. "You might have to arrest yourself." I smirked.

"Worth it." He smiled and kissed me more deeply.

There was a knock on the door, and Jack pulled back, sighing.

"Who is that?"

I put a finger to his lips, urging him to stay quiet.

"Elizabeth, I know you're awake in there."

"Julie, can this wait?"

Jack brushed his fingers through my hair. "Tell her you have more important things to do in here."

"I just wanted to talk to you before Viola got here."

"Give me a minute, Jules." I kissed Jack softly. "Sorry. If I don't go out there, she'll come in."

He pretended to pout. "What am I supposed to do now?"

"I don't know. Go back to sleep. I'll be back in a little while."

I slipped a robe on and stepped into the hallway. Julie led me down to her room and motioned for me to join her on the bed.

"So what is so important that you had to pull me away from my husband?"

"I just wanted some time to talk. I haven't seen you since the wedding, and now you're pregnant. There's just a lot to catch up on."

I sighed. "Let me get this straight: you made me get up and come over here, and you don't even have anything important you want to talk about?"

"I think your being pregnant is pretty important. Before the wedding, you told me that you two had decided to wait a little while to have kids. What happened to that plan?"

I brought my hands to my stomach. "Well, we had talked about possibly trying once he got back from his work trip, but it turns out I was already pregnant before he left. I guess we just weren't being as careful as we thought we were."

"Can I?" She held out her hand.

I moved my hands. "Sure, but you can't feel anything yet. I haven't even felt anything."

She gingerly placed her hand on my stomach. "I can't believe you kept this a secret for so long. You're already showing."

"Jack and I decided we wanted to wait until we could tell you guys in person. Speaking of Jack, can I please get back to him now?"

"But we've barely talked," Julie whined.

"Fine. What do you want to know?"

"Is it a boy or a girl? Do you have a name picked yet? Did you get pregnant on your honeymoon? Or maybe before the wedding? June seems awfully soon."

"Wow. Um." I took a deep breath. "We don't know what we're having, and we still haven't decided if we're going to find out before the baby's born. We have discussed names, and we've gotten the list narrowed down, but we haven't chosen any for sure yet. Do I really need to answer the last one?"

"If you don't, I'm going to assume it's because you got pregnant before the wedding and you don't want to admit it."

"Julie Thatcher!" My eyes grew wide. "I definitely did not get pregnant before the wedding, but it's really none of your business." I stood up slowly. "I'm going back to my room now."

"Elizabeth, don't be mad. I was just curious."

I shook my head. "I'm not mad. I just would rather be with Jack right now than talking about this."

I returned to my room and collapsed on the bed, sighing. Jack pulled me into his arms. "That bad?"

"She asked me if I got pregnant before the wedding. What kind of question is that? It's no one's business when or why I got pregnant."

He kissed the top of my head. "I'm sorry."

"I think I'm going to take a bath now. You can join me if you want."

He chuckled. "You always say that, as if I would ever turn you down."

...

An hour later, we headed downstairs, following the smell of French toast and bacon.

"Good morning, you two. How did you sleep?"

"We slept great, thanks." Jack put one hand on my back as we stepped up to fill our plates.

"That's good." My mother filled two glasses with orange juice and set them on the table for us. "Viola and Lionel should be here soon with the baby. I can't believe that, this time next year, I'll have _two_ grandchildren." She touched my arm, glancing at my stomach, which was much more prominent in my long-sleeved T-shirt than it had been in the sweater I wore the previous day.

I put one hand on my stomach and smiled. "I can't wait." Suddenly, I felt a faint fluttering in my stomach. I gasped, nearly dropping my plate as I brought my other hand to my stomach.

"Beth, is everything okay?" Jack looked at me, concern covering his face.

"Everything is wonderful." I met his eyes and grinned. "The baby moved. It was just a tiny little flutter, but I felt it! I was just telling Julie this morning that I hadn't felt anything yet." I slowly moved my hands across my stomach as I felt the flutter again. I laughed softly. "This is amazing. Merry Christmas to me."


	25. Chapter 25

A/N Here is the second of the two Christmas chapters. Happy holidays to all of you lovely people who take the time to read these stories! I appreciate you so much!

Also, there's a quote from _Jane Eyre_ in this one. I know it's in the public domain, but I still want to credit it to Charlotte Bronte :)

...

"Mom? Dad? Is anyone home?"

I stepped into the entryway to greet Viola and her husband. "Hi, Lionel. Hey, Vi." I hugged my sister. "Mom and dad and Julie are all out back."

"Hi, Elizabeth. Do you mind holding George for a minute while we go unload the rest of our stuff?"

"Not at all." I took my nephew from her, and she and Lionel went back out to their car. "Hi, Georgie. Do you remember me? I'm your Auntie Beth. I got to meet you a few months ago when your Uncle Jack and I got married." I snuggled him close and carried him to the living room, smiling as I thought about my own baby. "You know, Georgie, next year, you're going to get a little cousin. Uncle Jack and I are having a baby this summer." George looked up at me and babbled. "Yeah, that's right, Georgie. I have a baby in my belly right now. Right in here." I pointed at my stomach.

"What did you just say?"

I jumped a little, startled by my sister's voice. "Vi, I didn't hear you come back in."

"Oh, sorry." She took her son back from me. "Um, were you just saying that you're pregnant?" She raised her eyebrows.

I nodded and brought my hand to my stomach, laughing softly. "Yes. This is a baby in here, not the result of the big after-Christmas breakfast I ate this morning. Due in June."

"Congratulations, Elizabeth." She wrapped me in a hug. "You're absolutely going to love being a mom."

"Thanks, Vi. Jack and I are really excited." I brushed my hand across my stomach as I felt a tiny flutter. The corners of my lips turned up. _Hi, baby_. "Well, we should go find mom and dad and let them know that you all are here."

I slipped my coat on and led Viola and George into the backyard. Jack and Lionel followed close behind us when they noticed we were headed outside.

My parents were walking through the snow, arm in arm, looking so in love. Julie was sitting on the porch swing, covered in a blanket.

She jumped up and squealed when she saw Viola and the baby. "Oh, give me my nephew!" She held George close, kissing his cheek. "Did Elizabeth tell you?"

"That she's pregnant? Yes." She glanced back at me with a smile.

My parents had turned around when they heard Julie's commotion, and they came over to greet Viola and Lionel.

Jack put one arm around me.

I leaned up and kissed him. "I felt the baby move again, right when I was telling Vi about the pregnancy."

He placed his hand on my stomach. "I know it'll still be a while, but I can't wait until I can feel it."

"It's amazing, Jack. I know we've seen the ultrasounds and heard the heartbeat, but somehow, this makes it even more real. It's like he's letting me know that he's really in there."

"He? You're still thinking it's a boy?"

I shrugged. "Yeah. I still don't have an explanation as to why I think that, though. Maybe I'm just thinking how nice it would be to have a mini Jack."

He kissed me again. "I don't know. I'd be really happy with a mini Elizabeth."

"Well, boy or girl, I'm just so happy to be doing this whole parenthood thing with you." I brushed my hand across my stomach. "I still say it's a boy, though."

...

My parents took Jack and Lionel out to lunch, wanting some time to get to know their sons-in-law better. Julie, Viola, and I settled in the living room after George went down for a nap.

Viola took a seat on the couch beside me. "So, Jules, how's Tom?"

"Tom who?" She took a sip of tea, clearly feigning ignorance.

"Don't act like you don't know which Tom we're talking about." I hit her arm playfully. "You two seemed pretty cozy at my wedding."

"You should know how he is, since you're married to his brother."

"He and Jack really don't talk all that often."

Julie sighed. "Right now, we're just friends."

Viola raised her eyebrows. "Julie Thatcher is _just friends_ with a man she is obviously attracted to? I don't believe it."

"Well, it's the truth. I've learned that it doesn't work out well just to jump right into a relationship."

I absentmindedly brought my hands to my stomach. "Not to discount your experience, but Jack and I definitely skipped right past the 'friends' stage, and it worked out really well for us."

"I know it worked for you, and I'm happy for you, but it hasn't worked for me. I want to try something different. Maybe it will work better for me if I take things slow."

Viola refilled her mug. "Well, I'm proud of you, Julie. You've really matured in the past year."

Julie set her mug on the table. "I think seeing you two settling down and starting your families has shown me that I want that. I'm tired of going from guy to guy with no thought of commitment. I want something real."

"Well, you'll find that someday, whether it's with Tom or someone else. You'll find it."

"Thanks, Vi." Julie smiled and glanced between us. "I'm so glad you could both come for Christmas. I miss being able to talk to you guys like this." She reached over and took my hand. "And I want to apologize to you about what I said this morning. I know it's not any of my business."

"Thank you, Jules."

Viola looked at us curiously.

Julie cleared her throat. "Um, I may have asked if she got pregnant before the wedding…"

"I get it, though. I realize that the timing is a little questionable. I got pregnant sometime in the first few days after the wedding. Not to mention the fact that I had said we were planning to wait to have a baby."

"Wait." Viola turned her attention to me. "You're telling me that Elizabeth Thatcher, master planner, wasn't planning to get pregnant right away?"

I shook my head. "I'm thrilled to be pregnant, but no. This baby was not planned."

"Wow. I never would've guessed." She proceeded to ask me questions about how the pregnancy was going so far, having just gone through the same experience.

We spent that evening with the whole family, enjoying a delicious dinner—including Jack's favorite gooey butter cake— and exchanging a few presents. The previous year, I had spent Christmas with only my parents and Julie, as Viola and Lionel had stayed in London to spend the holiday with his family.

It still felt strange to me that I hadn't known Jack the previous Christmas, yet now he sat beside me, my husband and the father of our unborn child. How quickly my life had changed. It was absolutely wonderful.

...

A few days after Christmas, Jack and I went to dinner together, just the two of us. I loved my family, but I needed some time away from the house and away from them.

Jack excused himself to go to the restroom, and I missed him immediately, feeling alone in the crowded restaurant.

"Elizabeth? Fancy seeing you here."

My anxiety shot up at the sound of his voice. "Hello, Charles."

He stood beside the table, waiting to see if I would get up and hug him. I stayed where I was, praying that Jack would return soon.

Charles slid into the seat across from me. "So, are you still living in Oklahoma?"

I nodded. "We just came up to visit my parents for the holidays."

"You know, I've missed you, Elizabeth. I miss our friendship. I miss when we were more than friends." He put his hand on mine. Clearly, he didn't catch that I had said 'we' when I answered his question. Jack couldn't come back soon enough.

I pulled away, scooting as far back in my seat as I could. "Charles, stop. We were over ages ago."

" _You_ were done, Elizabeth. I wasn't."

"Charles, I'm married now, to a wonderful man. Haven't my parents mentioned that? There's nothing between you and me anymore; honestly, I don't think there ever was anything real between us. I'm so sorry if I ever said or did anything that made you feel like you might have another chance with me. We can't be together, Charles. I love my husband."

I saw Jack out of the corner of my eye. He froze when he saw Charles sitting in his spot.

"In fact, there he is now." I stood and caught his eye, waving him back over. I put my hands on his shoulders, speaking quietly. "I had nothing to do with this, I promise."

I slid back into the booth, Jack right beside me. I kept one hand on his leg beneath the table.

"Jack, this is Charles." I motioned between them. "Charles, this is my husband, Jack."

Charles looked wary as he shook Jack's hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Jack slid his arm around me, protectively. "So, Charles. You and Elizabeth are old friends?"

"We used to date."

My hand tensed on Jack's leg. Charles wasn't a bad man when I had known him—he was actually very sweet—but he seemed to be acting much differently than he did when we were together. He was jealous. He really had no right to be jealous. It had been years since I had seen him.

"I think Elizabeth has mentioned that before." He slowly rubbed his hand up and down my arm, trying to keep me calm. It was still amazing to me that he knew exactly what I needed without my mentioning it.

"So how long have you two been," he cleared his throat, "uh, married?"

"Almost four months."

"And how long have you known each other?"

I forced myself to take a deep breath before I said or did anything rude. Jack answered for me.

"We met last February."

"Wow. Just last February? So you got married after less than a year of knowing each other? That seems kind of…fast. Any reason for that?"

"Not that it's any of your business, Charles, but no."

"I'm sorry. It's just that I couldn't help but notice that you're pregnant, and it looks as though you could be more than four months along."

It took everything in me to keep myself from smacking him across the face. "I'm not even going to respond to that. Jack, we're leaving."

He stood and helped me up from the booth. "Charles, I would appreciate it if you would leave my wife alone from now on."

We quickly paid the bill and left the restaurant without so much as a glance back at Charles.

Jack turned toward me once we were in the car. "Beth, are you okay?"

I shrugged. "I have no idea what just happened in there. It's like he's a completely different person from the boy I grew up with and the man I dated." I rested my hands on my stomach. "I can't believe he had the audacity to question our motives for getting married."

Jack squeezed my hand. "Let's just go. I want to get as far from that man as possible before I do something I'll regret."

"Thanks for having my back." I leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I'm thinking I need a nice, relaxing, warm bath when we get back to the house. Maybe my husband would like to join me?"

He turned the key in the ignition. "How fast can this car go?"

...

After tossing and turning for a while, I slipped out of the bed, trying not to disturb Jack. I sank into the chair on the far side of my room, looking out the window at the tiny snowflakes falling from the clouds.

"Beth, what are you doing?" Jack came over and knelt in front of me.

"I can't sleep. It's fine. Just go back to bed."

"No, I'm awake now, and something's bothering you." He brushed a strand of hair from my face. "What is it?"

I sighed. "It's silly."

"I'm sure it's not."

I looked away from him, bringing my hands to my stomach. "It's just really bugging me that Charles assumed we got married quickly because I'm pregnant. I know I shouldn't care, because I obviously know that wasn't the reason at all."

"Hey, look at me." He touched my cheek, turning my face to meet his. "I'm not surprised at all that you're bothered by the things he said. I was bothered by it, too. He was incredibly rude to you, and I wanted nothing more than to slap the smirk off his face."

I laughed softly. "I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt that way."

"I'm so proud of how you handled that whole situation, Beth. You are so much stronger than you think. I know it hurts, because he was calling into question your values and our relationship." He kissed me gently. "But we know the truth. We know how we feel, we know why we got married quickly. Everyone who matters to us knows those things, too."

"I don't think I've ever met anyone who can talk me down like you do."

"That's what I'm here for." He kissed me again. "Now let's get back to bed."

"I'm not tired anymore."

"I know just what you need." He smiled mischievously and pulled me over to the bed. "Just get comfortable."

I looked at him curiously as I slipped under the covers. He dug around in my bag for a moment before taking something out.

"What are you doing, babe?"

"Just trust me." He slid into the bed beside me and handed me a book.

I grinned. "How did you know I brought this with me?"

"You've brought a book with you on every trip that we've been on, including our honeymoon. I figured you'd have one with you now, _and_ I was fairly certain that it would be a copy of _Jane Eyre_. I know you pretty well, Beth."

"Sometimes I worry that you know me better than I know myself." I laughed softly as I opened the book.

He put his arm around me. "Turn to chapter twenty-seven."

"Okay…" I flipped through the pages and settled against his shoulder, unsure of where he was going with this.

He pointed at a paragraph that he had underlined. "That quote right there, that's my favorite. The first time I read this book, that's what stood out to me the most. That's how I felt about you—how I still feel about you."

I cleared my throat and started reading quietly. "'I have for the first time found what I can truly love—I have found _you_. You are my sympathy—my better self—my good angel.'"

"You _are_ my sympathy and my better self, Beth." He reached over and brushed his fingers across my cheek. "And you're beautiful and caring, and you are my entire world."

I wiped a tear from my cheek. "Jack Thornton… Seriously, how was I ever lucky enough to find you?"

"Seriously, though, _I'm_ the lucky one." He kissed me softly. "I love you, Elizabeth Thornton."

I set the book on the nightstand, turning off the lamp before I kissed him again. "I love you, too."


	26. Chapter 26

On New Year's Eve, Charles showed up at my parents' house, asking for me. Jack and I had relayed the story of how rude he had been to us after we encountered him in the restaurant, and my parents were quick to turn him away when he appeared. I was thankful that I didn't have to confront him again.

My parents had noticed a change in Charles as well, noting that he had started behaving differently during the first relationship he had after our breakup. He had apparently become more reckless and even had a few brushes with the law. He quickly moved from one woman to the next, and my parents suspected he may have a child or two that he didn't know about.

Thankfully, we had no other run-ins with him the rest of our time in St. Louis, and our visit with my family had been enjoyable. Before we knew it, it was time to return home and get back to work. We had much to look forward to in the new year, but mostly I was excited that it was the year that we would meet our first child.

...

"Well, aren't you just adorable." Abigail greeted me when I walked into the café. "Pregnancy looks good on you."

I put my hand on my stomach and smiled. She hadn't seen me since before I really started showing. The baby—and therefore my stomach—had grown quite a bit in the week and a half since Jack and I left for the holidays. "Good morning, Abigail."

She pulled me into a hug. "Jack had to work early today?"

I nodded. "He wanted to catch up on everything since he took a long vacation for the holidays."

"And how have you been feeling?" We walked over to my usual table.

I slid into the booth. "Much better. I've gotten most of my energy back, and the morning sickness seems to be gone."

"Just in time to get back in the classroom."

I let out a breath. "I have to tell my students about the baby today. I'm already preparing myself for the questions."

"You mean the questions like, 'how did the baby get in there?'"

I rolled my eyes and nodded. "I haven't quite figured out how I'll dodge that one."

"Well, good luck." She filled my glass with water. "Want your usual?"

"Yes, please."

I relished the quiet as I waited for her to return with my food. I knew that it wouldn't be the easiest day at school, as the kids were returning from a break. The news about my baby would probably hype them up even more. I took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself for the day ahead.

A familiar flutter in my stomach drew me away from my thoughts. I brushed my fingers across my belly. "Hi there, little one." The baby's movements were becoming stronger and happening more frequently, and I was loving it. "Are you trying to get comfortable in there? I hope you're nice and cozy, because you need to stay in there for a few more months. Your dad and I can't wait to meet you, sweet baby. We love you so, so much."

"Talking to yourself?" Abigail set a plate of chocolate chip pancakes in front of me.

My cheeks colored. "I was just talking to the baby. I can feel him move now."

"Him?"

"Oh, we don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet." I rubbed my stomach. "I just have a feeling, so I've been saying 'he.'"

"Well, there's something to be said about mother's intuition."

I laughed softly. "Tell that to Jack. He isn't convinced."

"He thinks you're having a girl?"

I shrugged. "I don't think he has a strong feeling either way."

"Well, regardless, you two will be great parents." She refilled my water. "I'll leave you to your breakfast now. If I don't see you before you leave, good luck making the announcement to your students."

"Thank you, Abigail."

...

"Good morning, everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful winter break." The students all settled in their seats. "I'm so happy to see you all again. Now, to start the day, I'd like for you to take out your journals and write a paragraph about your favorite thing from the break. Maybe it's a present you got, or something you did with your family; it could be anything you want."

As they pulled out their notebooks, I wrote the assignment on the board. They all were writing so eagerly, clearly excited about everything they were remembering. A few minutes later, I could tell that they were all finishing up, so I returned to the front of the classroom.

I allowed each of the children to share what they had written with the rest of the class before I decided that it was time to break the news about the baby.

"Since you all shared your favorite things from the break, I'll share with you what my favorite thing was." I turned and wrote a single word on the board. "Now, does anybody know what this says?"

A few hands went up.

"Yes, Emily?"

She took a moment to sound it out, before she confidently replied, "pregnant!"

"Great job, Emily."

Robert's hand shot up. "My mom is pregnant!"

"That's wonderful, Robert. Can you tell the class what 'pregnant' means?"

"Pregnant is when someone is having a baby, and the baby is in their belly. My baby sister is in my mom's belly right now, and she'll be born in a few weeks."

"That's great. Thank you, Robert, and congratulations on becoming a big brother." I took a deep breath. "Now, can anyone guess why this is related to my favorite thing from the break?"

The children looked around at each other, confused. Finally, Opal tentatively raised her little hand. "Are you pregnant, Mrs. Thornton?"

I grinned. "I am, Opal. You are absolutely right. My favorite thing about the break was telling my family that I'm having a baby." I put my hands on my stomach. "So over the next few months, you'll all get to see my belly get bigger as my baby grows in here. And I just want you to know that I will still be your teacher for the rest of the year. My baby won't be born until after school is out for the summer."

The children all began chattering excitedly; so many questions were being asked simultaneously.

"Okay. Settle down, everyone. We need to raise our hands and take turns when we ask questions, remember?"

Twenty hands went up. I answered a few questions, including whether the baby was a boy or a girl (We didn't know right now, and we probably wouldn't find out until the baby was born), when the baby was supposed to be born (In June), and what the baby's name would be (We had a list of names picked, but hadn't chosen one yet). Then the dreaded question came up.

"Mrs. Thornton, how did the baby get in your belly?"

"Um," I took a deep breath, rubbing my hand across my stomach, "do you remember in our science lesson when we talked about cells?" The children nodded. "Well, men and women each have special cells in them. Those special cells can join together inside a mom and make what's called a zygote." I wrote the word on the board. "The zygote is what grows into a baby."

"Does that happen when a mom and dad kiss each other?"

I stifled a laugh. "No, but it's something like that."

Thankfully, the children seemed to be satisfied with my answers, and they were ready to move onto the next topic.

"Is your sheriff happy to be a dad?"

I chuckled. "Yes. Sheriff Thornton is very happy that's he's going to be a dad."

Only a few more questions were asked before I was able to move onto the lessons I had planned for the day.

Most of the other teachers noticed my growing belly before I even mentioned the pregnancy, and by the end of the day, the news of baby Thornton's existence had spread throughout the whole school. It was a relief to have it in the open finally.

...

Jack trudged through the door, dropping everything on the table in the entryway before sinking down onto the sofa. "I'm sorry I'm late."

"Rough day, babe?"

He nodded. "It seems like nothing got done while we were gone. It's going to take a while to catch up. Also, I missed you." He pulled me into his arms when I sat on the sofa beside him. He kissed the top of my head. "But everything is much better now that I'm here with you. How was your day?"

"Good. Pretty much everyone at the school knows about the baby now. The kids were asking about you, too."

He grinned. "They were?"

"I was asked if 'my sheriff' is happy to be a dad."

He kissed me softly. "I hope you said I am. And I'm very happy to be your sheriff." He smirked.

"Oh, but the questions weren't all that easy to answer." I laughed softly. "There's nothing quite like standing in front of a room of seven and eight year olds who are all wondering how you got a baby inside of you."

"Oh dear. What did you tell them?"

"Something about special cells that men and women have that come together inside a mom."

He laughed. "I don't envy you, but it sounds like you handled it well."

I brought his hand to my stomach. "It didn't end there, though. After that, I was asked if it happens when people kiss."

"Oh my goodness. And what did you say to that?"

"I told them the truth: It's not kissing, but it's something like kissing. Thank goodness the line of questioning ended there."

He touched my cheek. "'Something like kissing,' eh?" He leaned forward, pressing his lips to mine. "You should've said it starts with kissing."

I kissed him again before he pulled me up from the sofa and started toward the stairs. "That would've been inappropriate. Besides, then they would've asked what it ends with."

He nudged me into the bedroom. "I'll show you what it ends with."

...

Jack leaned his chin on my shoulder and rested his hands on my stomach. I pressed my back into his chest, savoring his warmth.

"Elizabeth, we should probably go have some dinner."

"Mm, but I'm so cozy right here."

"I know, but the baby needs you to eat."

I carefully rolled over to face him, something that was already becoming more difficult as my stomach grew. "Fine. Can we order a pizza?"

"Pepperoni with extra cheese?"

I nodded. "And peppers and onions on half."

He looked at me curiously. "You don't like peppers or onions."

"I don't, but the baby wants them."

"Our kid is weird." He kissed my nose. "One pepperoni and extra cheese pizza with peppers and onions on half, coming right up." He slid from the bed, pulling on some clothes. "I'll go place the order and feed the dogs."

"Come back soon. It's cold in this bed without you."

...

I took a bite of pizza. Normally, I would have gagged at the combination of onions and peppers, but the pregnancy had apparently scrambled my taste buds. "Thank you, Jack."

"Good?"

"Mhmm. So good." The baby moved slightly inside of me. I brought my hand to my stomach. "He's so happy now."

Jack rolled his eyes playfully and shook his head.

"Hey, I know we still have a while before we have to make this decision, but we need to start thinking about who we want as godparents for the baby."

"Do you have anyone in mind?" He looked up at me expectantly.

"Well, any of our siblings would be obvious choices, but I think I'd prefer someone who doesn't live so far. Rosemary and Lee would be another option, especially since we're Alina's godparents."

"But…?" He could tell my list didn't end there.

"Honestly, I'm leaning toward Abigail."

He smiled. "Abigail is a good choice. She was the first to know you were pregnant, and she's been a big help the past few months, especially when I was away. Plus, didn't you tell me that she was the one who initially suggested that we might make a good couple? Without her, we may not have gotten married, and this baby wouldn't even exist."

I laughed. "Don't tell that to Rosemary. She likes to take credit for our getting together."

He took another slice of pizza from the box. "Believe me, I would never tell her that. I wouldn't want to face the repercussions."

"So, Abigail?"

He nodded. "How about we ask her after your next ultrasound?"

"It's a plan." I smiled. "Can you believe we're almost halfway to meeting our baby?"

"I can't wait." He leaned forward and kissed me.

"Mm, babe, my breath is all oniony."

"I don't care." He brushed his thumb across my lips. "I love you, Beth."

I kissed him again. "I love you, too."


	27. Chapter 27

"Hello, you two." Abigail smiled when we entered. "Take a seat. I'll be with you in a minute."

"Actually, when you have a second, we wanted to talk with you about something."

She looked surprised. "Oh, sure. It'll be a few minutes."

"Take your time." Jack led me to a table and pulled out a chair for me.

I took something from my purse. "Look at him, Jack." I smiled as I gazed at the picture in my hands. "He has your nose."

He moved into the seat beside me, reaching for the stack of ultrasound photos in my purse. "You know you told the technician not to tell us what the baby is. It could still be a girl."

"Except it isn't." I brought one hand to my stomach. "Right, little one? You're a boy, aren't you?" I felt a slight kick in response. "Ha. He said yes."

"What if you're wrong?" He raised his eyebrows. "Will you be upset if it's a girl?"

"Of course not." A smile played on my lips as the baby shifted inside me. "I'm just so happy to be having a baby with you. I'll honestly be thrilled either way. I just have such a strong feeling that it's a boy."

He touched my cheek. "Well, we're over halfway to finding out." He looked back at the picture he held. "Are you still leaning toward Nora for a girl?"

I nodded. "Nora Grace Thornton."

"And William for a boy?"

I scrunched my nose, shaking my head. "I changed my mind on that one. I love my dad, but our son's name isn't William. I don't know what I want to name him anymore."

"We've got time to decide." He squeezed my hand.

Abigail approached us, sinking into a chair across from us. "Okay, I have a few minutes. What did you want to talk to me about?"

I handed her one of the ultrasound pictures.

"The baby? Is everything okay with him?"

"Yes. Everything is perfect." Jack rested his hand on my thigh. "Wait, has Elizabeth convinced you it's a boy?"

She shrugged. "Mother's intuition is a real thing, Jack." She looked over at me with a wink.

I smiled. "Thanks for having my back, Abigail. Anyway, Jack and I have been talking, and we would love for you to be our baby's godmother."

"Me?" Tears welled up in her eyes. "I would love that. Thank you so much."

I reached across the table and took her hand in mine. "You mean so much to us, Abigail. This baby wouldn't even exist had you not pushed me to get to know Jack."

She wiped her eyes and laughed. "I like to think that you would have found each other regardless, but thank you for giving me credit."

We all stood, and Jack and I took turns hugging Abigail.

"You can have whatever you want tonight, on the house."

"Abigail…" I started to protest, but she quickly cut me off.

"You're carrying my godchild. Let me do this, please."

Jack smiled and kissed her cheek. "Thank you."

...

"Jack, come here."

He bounded up the stairs and quickly reached my side, looking worried. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes. Everything's fine." I grabbed his hand and placed it on my stomach, right above the spot where the baby was kicking. I had been able to feel the baby moving since the day after Christmas, but this was the first time that it was strong enough that I was sure Jack could feel it as well.

A smile stretched across his face. "That's amazing. Our baby is really in there." He put his other hand on my stomach. "Hi, little one. I'm your dad. I can't wait to meet you."

The baby kicked at his hand again, a little bulge appearing on my stomach where the baby's foot pressed against it.

I touched his cheek. "I love you, Jack."

"I love you, too." He leaned in and kissed me. "We need to get going or we'll be late."

"We can't let that happen. Only heathens arrive late to a church service." I winked at him.

He rolled his eyes and chuckled. "One time. I was late once."

Fifteen minutes later, we pulled into the church parking lot. Jack was silent, but he looked over at me and smiled.

"What?"

He touched my cheek. "I just love you so much. Every time I look at you, I fall even more in love with you. Especially now that you're carrying my baby, _our_ baby. You are so beautiful, Beth."

I pulled his hand to my stomach, tears in my eyes. "Jack Thornton…" I leaned over and kissed him. I wiped my eyes. "Okay, enough of this. We need to get inside."

We slipped into our usual pew beside Abigail and her children.

I kept finding my hand drawn to my stomach throughout the service. It felt like the baby was doing flips inside of me. It was hard to believe that, only five months before, Jack and I had stood at the front of the church and pledged our lives to one another.

He placed his hand beside mine on my stomach, so thrilled that he could feel the baby now.

When the service ended, Abigail looked over at me, curiosity in her eyes.

"Go for it." I nodded down at my stomach.

She reached out and placed her palm above the baby. "The little one is active, huh?"

"Yes, he is. He's been moving for most of the morning."

"Can I feel, Mrs. Thornton?" Cody looked up at me sweetly.

"Sure, Cody."

He put his hand beside his mother's, grinning when the baby kicked at his fingers. Becky added her hand, too, and all three Stantons stood in awe while they felt the baby shift inside me.

"That's so cool!" Cody's eyes lit up. "Does it hurt?"

I shook my head. "Nope. It just feels kind of funny, but I'm getting used to it. The baby is still pretty small, so it's really like he's just pushing my insides around a little."

Jack took my hand in his. "Ready for lunch, Mrs. Thornton?"

"Yes, please. The baby wants extra onions."

"Extra onions on what?"

I brushed my hand across my stomach. "On whatever we have for lunch."

"What if I want us to have pancakes?"

I shrugged. "Then the baby will want some pancakes with a side of onions."

He cringed. "Have I mentioned lately how glad I am that _you're_ the one carrying our baby?"

I leaned forward and kissed him softly. "I'm happy to carry him—weird cravings and all."

...

I stepped out of the bathroom as I slipped on a pair of earrings. "Jack, do you realize what today is?"

"Hmm?"

"It's been exactly a year since the first time we met, the day you moved in next door."

He kissed the top of my head. "Ah, yes. When you waited to walk Bronte until you were sure you'd run into me."

I felt my face color, and my eyes went wide. "You knew I did that intentionally?"

"I'm pretty good at reading you, Elizabeth." He smirked. "If it makes you feel better, I didn't realize it until a few days later."

"How?"

He cleared his throat. "I, uh, kind of caught on to your schedule, and I noticed that you walked her earlier every day after that. The day I was outside unloading the moving truck was the only day you walked her that late."

I gasped then chuckled softly at the realization that we had both been watching each other so closely.

"What a year it's been."

"The best year." I sighed. "I wish we could stay home today."

He put his arms around me, resting his hands on the small of my back. "So do I."

I tucked my head under his chin. "We can celebrate after work."

"Something to look forward to." Even without seeing his face, I knew he was grinning.

I sighed. "We should probably get going."

He kissed the top of my head before he released me. "I love you, Beth."

"I love you, Jack."

...

Jack walked in the door a few minutes later than normal, carrying a bouquet of purple roses. "Hi, beautiful."

I grinned from my spot on the sofa. "Hey, babe. I'd get up and kiss you, but I'm kind of stuck over here."

He raised his eyebrows. "Are you really stuck, or do you just not want to move?"

"Um… I don't want to answer that." I laughed, sitting up slowly.

He came over to the sofa, leaning down to kiss me. "Are you planning to spend the whole evening on this sofa?"

I shook my head. "No. We have some celebrating to do."

He laid the flowers on the coffee table and held out his hand to help me up. "What do you have planned?"

"I was thinking we could make some gooey butter cake and watch a movie."

"Then what?" He kissed my nose.

I looked at him mischievously. "You'll have to wait and see." I reached for the bouquet on the table. "Thank you for the flowers." I brought them to my nose, taking in the sweet smell and reminiscing about our wedding day. "Purple roses always remind me of our wedding."

He smiled. "I know. That's why I got them for you."

"I'll go put these in a vase, and then we can get started on dessert."

He raised his eyebrows. "Going straight to dessert, eh?"

I hit his arm playfully. "Not that kind of dessert, Jack Thornton."

He laughed as he followed me into the kitchen and slipped on a frilly apron before he began pulling out the ingredients for gooey butter cake.

A few hours later, we lay on the couch, as close to each other as we could possibly get.

"So," he kissed my temple, "earlier, you implied that you had more plans for us after our meal and our movie. Are you ever going to tell me what those plans are?"

I nodded. "I was thinking you could give me a foot massage."

"A foot massage? That's really your plan?"

"Mhmm. Growing your child is really making it hard to be on my feet all day."

He tightened his arms around me. "And do I get anything in exchange for giving you this foot massage?"

"Well," I brushed my fingers lightly across his arms, "I have a new outfit that I thought I could wear while you give me the massage."

He groaned. "If this new outfit is what I think it is, I might be too distracted to do anything else but kiss you."

I slowly sat up, bringing him with me. "I guess I would be okay with that." I smirked as I took his hands and led him upstairs.

...

Jack was sleeping peacefully beside me. His eyelashes grazed the tops of his cheeks, his lips opened slightly as he breathed deeply.

My heart felt like it could burst. A year before, we had been strangers, just meeting for the first time. It was only a dream that we could be together. And yet, here we were, snuggled up together, married, and with a baby on the way.

I brushed my finger across his lips, thinking about how wonderful they felt against my skin, against my own lips. I scooted up in the bed and kissed him softly.

"Mm." He stirred, slowly opening his eyes to look at me. "Hi."

"Hi." A smile creeped onto my face.

"Did you just kiss me?"

"Um…" I giggled. "Yes."

He rolled onto his side and pressed his lips to mine. "I would like to request that you wake me up like that more often."

"Deal."

He kissed me again, still trying to shake off sleep. "Wait." He pulled back. "It's still dark out. Did you wake me up in the middle of the night just to kiss me?"

I snuggled into his chest, my rounded stomach pressed against his tight abdomen. "Guilty." I laughed softly. "I just looked over and started thinking about how lucky I am to have you, and I got a little distracted by your lips."

He must've felt the baby kick, because he brought a hand to my stomach. "Hi, little one. How are you doing in there? Your mama is silly, isn't she? Waking me up in the middle of the night just to kiss me."

The baby kicked even harder at the sound of his voice.

"You know, he was sleeping until you started talking."

Jack smirked. "Payback."

"Hey, you liked my wake-up call."

He brushed his lips against my cheek before he kissed me again. "I did." His breath tickled my ear as he moved his lips to my neck. "Now that we're both awake…"

"I love the way you think, Mr. Thornton."


	28. Chapter 28

The next month seemed to pass quickly. In that month, Jack and I celebrated the one year anniversary of our first official date, and I reached the beginning of the third trimester of my pregnancy. Before I knew it, it was nearing the end of March, almost time for Spring Break.

A few days before the break began, I came home to find Jack's suitcase sitting in the middle of our room. He hadn't mentioned anything to me about going anywhere, and I immediately thought the worst. He hadn't been called out of town since right after our wedding, and it seemed to be about time for him to be called away again.

I slowly came down the stairs, a knot forming in my stomach. "Jack?" I eventually found him on the back porch, relaxing on the swing. I quietly sat beside him, resting my hand on his knee. I took a deep breath. "Jack, why is your suitcase out? Are you leaving again? How long is it for this time?"

"I'm not leaving without you, Elizabeth."

I looked at him curiously. "What do you mean by that?"

"I know I should've talked to you about it first, but we're going on a little trip."

"Jack…" I brought my hand to my stomach. "I don't know if I can—"

He cut me off. "We aren't going far. I just thought that, since you didn't want to travel to Vancouver at six months pregnant, maybe we could still take a trip for Spring Break, but somewhere closer to home. No planes and less walking."

I leaned into him, resting my head on his shoulder. "Are you going to tell me where we're going on this surprise trip?"

"The cabin."

"Where we spent our honeymoon?"

"Yes." He kissed the top of my head. "Is that okay?"

I smiled, tilting my head up to kiss him. "That sounds like just the getaway we need. One last trip before the baby comes."

He slid his arm around me, his hand on my waist. "It's just for a few days. Abigail and Cody have already agreed to stop by and take care of the dogs while we're gone. Then when we get back, I thought we could spend the rest of the break getting the nursery ready."

I rubbed my stomach, the baby shifting slightly inside of me. "I can't believe we're just about three months away from meeting our baby."

"Then the humans will finally outnumber the dogs in this house. It's been a tie for far too long."

I laughed quietly. "How do you think the dogs will do with a baby around?"

"Honestly, Rip probably won't even notice there's a baby in the house. He'll just keep sleeping all the time. He'll probably even be able to sleep through the baby crying." He chuckled. "Now, Bronte, on the other hand, I could imagine Bronte being protective of the baby."

I nodded, bringing my other hand to my stomach. "I could see that. She'll probably want to sleep next to the crib."

"We can put a nice cozy rug by the crib for her to curl up on."

"That's a good idea." I stifled a yawn.

"Let's get you to bed."

"No, I'm fine."

"Beth," he put his hand on my stomach, "you're exhausted. The baby needs you to rest."

He helped me up from the swing, and I leaned against him as we headed inside and up the stairs.

"What are you going to do once the baby is born and you can't use him to convince me to do things?"

He kissed my forehead and smirked. "Oh, just because the baby won't be inside of you anymore doesn't mean I can't use it to convince you to do things." He pulled the quilt up to my chin. "Now please, rest. I'll make dinner tonight."

...

When I arrived home after school on Friday, I found our bags packed and waiting by the door.

Jack walked over and kissed my cheek. "Hi, Beth. Everything is ready to go, so we can head out whenever you're ready."

"Just give me fifteen minutes."

"Take your time."

An hour and a half later, we pulled up in front of the small cabin.

I walked to the far wall while Jack carried our bags to the bedroom. He had somehow been able to secure the same exact cabin where we spent the first few days of our marriage. The view of the woods out the wall of windows was different in the early spring than it had been in the late summer, but it was just as beautiful as I remembered.

Jack stepped up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his hands on my stomach. "You know, this may very well be the exact place where this baby of ours was made."

I felt a blush rise in my face. "Well, not _right_ here."

"Did we not…?"

"Not here. There was the one time by the fireplace, but never right here…" I trailed off when he started laughing. "And, you're kidding, aren't you?"

"Yes." He kissed my cheek.

"We'll have to bring the little one back here someday, I guess." I laughed, putting my hands on top of his. "But we don't necessarily need to tell him why this place is so special to us."

He turned me around to face him, touching his nose to mine. "That can just be our little secret." He sighed contentedly, running his fingers through my hair. "We have so many wonderful memories from this place."

I nodded. "The very best memories." I wrapped my arms around him. "So, what do you have planned for us while we're here?"

"A little hiking—but not too much. I know it's getting harder for you to be on your feet."

"Is that all?"

"Oh no, Mrs. Thornton." He kissed me softly. "I have lots of plans for us. I thought we could curl up in front of that nice fireplace that we love so much, and maybe we can make use of the big bathtub later."

I leaned into him. "That sounds heavenly."

...

We spent the days exploring the woods around the cabin, even making our way down to the waterfall one afternoon. The trip was all so reminiscent of our honeymoon—cooking together in the small kitchen, dancing around the living room, just being together without the obligations of work or friends.

Jack's fingers moved beneath my shirt, brushing across my bare stomach. "Are you ready to go back to the real world tomorrow?"

I sighed, leaning into him. "No. In the real world, I have to share you. I like having you all to myself." I reached up and touched his cheek. "Thank you for planning this, Jack. It's been wonderful."

He kissed the top of my head. "I'll take any excuse to hide away with you for a few days." He chuckled softly when the baby kicked at his hands. "We should try to keep up with little trips like this after the baby is born, make sure we spend some time with just the two of us."

"Yes, please." I smiled as he pulled me further into his embrace, his arms feeling warm and comforting. "Hey, babe?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

...

"Thank you both for coming over to help us set up the nursery."

"Oh, it's our pleasure. Besides, we're basically experts, since we just set up a nursery not that long ago." Rosemary looked down at her daughter sleeping in her arms and smiled. "I'm just going to put her down, and then I'll have my hands free to help."

Jack and Lee started unpacking the parts for the crib, setting them out on one side of the room. I started working on a small set of shelves, trying to avoid any of the boxes containing things that would be too heavy for me to lift.

Within a few hours, all of the furniture had been put together. I held Alina against my chest while I instructed Jack and Lee on where to place everything.

After Lee and Rosemary returned home, I put the finishing touches on the baby's room. I put sheets on the crib mattress, folded tiny clothes and blankets, and lined up books on the shelves.

I smiled as I settled into the glider in the corner, looking around the room that would house our baby in just a few months. The crib was placed against one wall, opposite a small dresser that doubled as a changing table. The dresser drawers were mostly empty save for a few outfits that I had picked up here and there over the past few months.

I found my hands drawn to my stomach as I imagined myself rocking my baby and putting him to bed in that room. Would he look more like Jack or like me? Would he be a mix of us? Would he be adventurous or calm or shy? Would the baby actually be a girl, negating the gut feeling I had been having for the entire pregnancy?

"Hi, little one. We finished your room today, so I guess we're almost ready for you to come now. I love feeling you in my belly, but I can't wait until I can hold you and snuggle you close. And I can't wait until I can see your daddy holding you. He loves you so much already, and he is going to be the very best dad."

"And you're going to be the very best mom." Jack grinned from the doorway.

"We're getting so close, Jack. We're almost parents."

"We are." He nodded in agreement, kneeling in front of me. "Do you feel ready?"

I shrugged. "I don't think I'll reach a point where I'll truly feel ready, but I know that we can do this."

He leaned in and kissed me. "We can do anything together."

...

A few weeks later, I was awakened when I felt a tightness in my belly, gasping when it was accompanied by a sharp pain. I sat up slowly, trying not to wake Jack. A dull ache was spreading across my back as I moved toward the bathroom. I leaned against the counter and breathed deeply until the pain subsided.

I had been feeling the tightening in my stomach periodically throughout the day, but it was starting to happen more frequently. I prayed that they were just Braxton Hicks contractions, but the pain I had felt the last two times had me thinking it might be otherwise.

I heard Jack's muffled voice through the bathroom door. "Elizabeth?"

I stepped back into the room. "Go back to sleep. I'm fine." I reached my hand around to my back, trying to rid myself of the dull ache that remained.

"Elizabeth…"

"Jack, this isn't the first time I've been woken up in the middle of the night by this baby. I'm fine, really."

He sighed. "Beth, I can tell that this isn't just the baby kicking. You look like you're feeling some pain."

"I'm seven months pregnant. It's normal for me to be feeling some pain and discomfort. I have a baby resting on my bladder and kicking my ribs. My body is getting ready to push out a small human."

"Elizabeth Ann Thornton, I want you to tell me the truth. Did you just have a contraction?"

"Yes, I did, but I think it was just a Braxton Hicks contraction. I've been having them for a few days now." Honestly, I was trying to convince him as much as I was trying to convince myself.

"You _think_ it's just Braxton Hicks?"

I felt tears fill my eyes. "I don't know." The tears started pouring down my face. "I really don't know. Something doesn't feel right. They aren't regular, but they're happening more often, and now they're starting to be painful."

He jumped up from the bed and quickly pulled on some clothes. "I'm taking you to the hospital." He helped me put on my jacket and shoes, and he grabbed the hospital bag on the way to the car.

"Jack, what if this is it? What if I'm in labor? Thirty-one weeks is way too early."

"Hey, take a deep breath. It might not be labor. Maybe he's just getting ready in there."

I smiled through my tears. "You said 'he.'"

He glanced at me through the corner of his eyes and grinned. "Anything to get you to calm down, Beth. By the way, I'm sorry for breaking out the middle name earlier."

"That's okay. I forgive you, _Jack Alexander_."

A few hours later, after a thorough exam and an ultrasound, the doctors determined that, although I was one centimeter dilated, I was not yet in labor. They had concluded that I had been experiencing strong Braxton Hicks contractions that were made worse by slight dehydration. They admitted me for IV hydration and observation to ensure that I didn't progress into full blown labor.

I was discharged that afternoon with instructions to drink more water and to take it easy for the remainder of the pregnancy. The doctors had no major concerns and saw no reason why I wouldn't be able to make it to full term.

We spent the remainder of the evening in our room, relaxing and reading together. Jack sat beside me in our bed, holding my hand in his.

"You know, as excited as I am to meet our baby, I'm really glad we didn't meet him today."

He squeezed my hand. "Me too. We need the little one to stay in there a while longer." He put his hand on my stomach, leaning forward. "Do you hear me in there? You need to stay inside your mama for a few more weeks. We want you to be big and strong when you come out to meet us."

"Not too big, though." I laughed softly. "We don't want him to get stuck."

"You do know that I was eight and a half pounds when I was born."

My eyes widened. "You couldn't have told me that before you got me pregnant?"

He chuckled. "Don't worry, Elizabeth. Chances are, our baby won't be that big."

I let out a breath, leaning back on the pillow. "You better hope he's not big, or you won't be getting any more children from me."

"Hey, you promised me six children."

I shook my head. "No, sir. I said nothing of the sort. I distinctly remember that I said we could start with one and go from there."

He reclined on his pillow and kissed me softly. "I'm only kidding. If you don't want any more after this one, I'm perfectly okay with that. If you want one more, I'm okay with that, too. I'll even be okay if you want twelve more."

"I can assure you that we won't be having twelve more, but thank you, Jack." I kissed him again. "I love you."

"I love you more."


	29. Chapter 29

I woke when I felt Jack's lips on mine.

"Good morning." He kissed me again. "Happy birthday, Beth."

"Mm, thank you, Jack."

"I have a present for you. I'll be right back." He slid from the bed, and I immediately missed his presence beside me. He pulled a small package from the back of the closet. He handed it to me and smiled, settling in beside me once more.

I peeled back the paper, revealing a frame holding two pictures. Both photos contained the two of us standing in front of the waterfall, one from our honeymoon and one from our Spring Break trip.

I looked up at him, a smile stretching across my face. "Thank you, Jack. I love it." I glanced between the pictures, noticing how much had changed in only half a year. "You know, I'm very obviously pregnant in one of these pictures, but it's possible that I was pregnant in the other one, too. Or at least I was very close to becoming pregnant."

"I guess you were." He kissed me and brought his hand to my stomach. "You are so beautiful, Elizabeth. Especially with my baby in here." He brushed his thumb back and forth, his lips curling into a smile. "It's been so amazing watching you grow our baby these past eight months. _You're_ amazing."

I leaned in, pressing my lips to his. "You're pretty amazing, too, Jack Thornton."

He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "Sometimes I just can't believe how much I love you."

"I know exactly what you mean. And this little one, too." I looked down at my stomach, resting my hand where the baby was pressing his foot. "It's not that I didn't believe people when they talked about how much they loved their babies even before they were born, but goodness. I love him so much more than I ever thought I could love someone—especially someone I haven't even met yet."

"Who knew we would find so much love in a little town in Oklahoma?"

...

There was a bouquet of purple roses on my desk when I walked into my classroom. A smile spread across my face as I read the card.

 _Happy birthday, beautiful! You've been alive for a whole quarter of a century now! So old! ;) I hope you have a wonderful day at work. I can't wait to see you later. I have something special planned for you._

 _Love,_

 _The father of your child_

I laughed softly. "Jack Thornton, you sweet, romantic goof."

I dialed his number quickly, taking advantage of the few minutes I had before my students would arrive.

"Elizabeth? Is everything okay?"

"I just wanted to thank the father of my child for the lovely flowers."

The smile was evident in his voice. "You're welcome, beautiful. I had to get lovely flowers for my lovely wife."

I felt a blush rise in my cheeks at his sweet statement. "By the way, babe, twenty-five is _not_ old."

"I guess not, because that would make me ancient."

I laughed. "Three months from twenty-seven is far from ancient. Oh, I'm also curious about this 'something special' you have planned for later."

He chuckled. "Don't even try to get me to tell you. It won't work."

"But I'm carrying your child."

"And…?"

"And that should be enough reason for you to tell me what you have planned."

"Nice try, Mrs. Thornton. While I'm eternally grateful to you for carrying our baby, I'm still not going to tell you my plans."

"You know I don't like surprises." I rested my hand on my stomach when I felt the baby shift inside me. "The baby is telling me that he doesn't like surprises, either."

"Still not telling you."

"What if I ask really nicely? Pretty please will you tell me what your plans are?"

"Well, since you asked nicely…I'm still not telling." Though I couldn't see his face, I knew he was grinning.

"Fine. I need to get ready for my students, anyway."

"I love you, Beth."

"I love you, too. Even when you're being infuriating because you won't tell me what you're planning."

I could hear him laughing as the call was cut off.

...

I leaned back against Jack, his legs on either side of me and his hands resting on my stomach. We had just finished a wonderful meal of chicken pot pie—with extra onions for me—and gooey butter cake for dessert.

Now, we were sitting together on a blanket spread on the grass in the backyard. A warm breeze blew through the yard, ruffling my hair. The sun was just beginning to set beyond the fence.

"You know, if someone had told me on my last birthday that, in only a year, I would not only be married to you, but I would also be eight and a half months pregnant, I would've thought they were crazy. We weren't even engaged yet on my last birthday."

"Well, I, for one, am so glad that you're married to me and eight and a half months pregnant." He rubbed his hand across my stomach and kissed the top of my head. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too. Clearly." I chuckled quietly, placing my hand on top of his. "If this baby doesn't say 'we really love each other,' then I don't know what does."

"That's a pretty complex statement to expect a baby to be able to say."

I rolled my eyes. "Already starting with the dad jokes, are we?"

"Well, I am about to be a dad, so it only makes sense." He smirked.

"I can't believe we're only a few weeks away from meeting our baby." I moved my hand across my stomach to the place where the baby was kicking, thinking about how soon it would be before the baby was in my arms.

Jack tightened his arms around me. "I can't wait. You are going to be the very best mother, Beth."

"Jack… Thank you for saying that." I reached up and touched his cheek. "You're going to be a great father. Our baby is so lucky."

He kissed the top of my head again. "Do you still think we're having a boy?"

"You keep asking me that. I've been thinking it's a boy for the entire pregnancy. I'm probably not going to change my mind about that at this point." I watched bulges appear and disappear across my stomach as the baby shifted inside me.

"What if you're wrong?"

"You keep asking me that, too. I'll tell you what I've told you before: I'll love our baby no matter what, but I'm pretty confident at this point that we're going to have a son."

"I guess we'll find out soon."

I sank further into his arms. "Hey, are we ever going to start the movie?"

"Oh yeah, that's why we came out here." He winked, turning on the projector.

I was surprised when I realized what movie he had chosen. "We aren't watching _Sound of Music_ this time?"

"I thought we should change it up for once." He pressed play, then slipped his arms back around my waist. "I figured _Jane Eyre_ was a safe bet."

"Not necessarily."

He raised his eyebrows. "Should I run inside and grab something else?"

"No. I was just saying that it isn't necessarily a safe bet, because I only like one of the movie adaptations. You chose wisely, though."

He let out a breath. "Thank goodness. I'll remember that for the future." He pulled me closer. "So is this a good surprise?"

"It's a great surprise." I looked up at him with a smile. "Okay, now hush and watch the movie."

He laughed softly and kissed my cheek.

A little while later, Jack softly nudged me awake.

I yawned. "I'm sorry for falling asleep. I'm sure that wasn't part of your plan."

"There's no need to apologize. You've had a long day. Let's just get you to bed."

I nodded sleepily, allowing him to lead me back into the house and up to our room. He slipped into the bed beside me, wrapping his arms around me.

"Thank you for today."

"You're welcome." He kissed my forehead. "Good night, Beth. Happy birthday."

...

I picked up my phone when it started buzzing on the counter.

"Elizabeth, I have a huge favor to ask of you." Rosemary's voice was full of concern.

"Yes?"

"Could you and Jack watch Alina for the weekend?"

"This weekend?"

"Yes. Lee's parents are both sick, and he wants to go help out for a couple days. We would bring Alina with us, but I'd rather not risk her getting sick since she's still so young."

"How long will you be gone?"

"We're planning to leave tomorrow evening and return Sunday afternoon. I know it's last minute, so if you can't watch her, that's fine. We'll be able to figure something else out."

"No, we can take her. We're her godparents; it's what we're here for. Besides, it'll be good practice for us." I smiled as I brought my hand to my stomach.

"Are you positive? Two nights with an infant is a lot, and I know it's exhausting enough being so close to your due date."

"I'm sure, Rosie. I need to get used to sleepless nights, anyway. Don't worry about a thing. We'd be glad to watch her for you."

"Thank you so much. We owe you big time." She sounded much more relaxed. "We'll bring her over tomorrow, and I'll give you all the instructions then."

"Okay, I'll see you then."

Jack stepped into the room and dropped a kiss on my cheek just as I was hanging up. "Who was that?"

"Rosemary. I know I should've talked to you before I agreed to this, but we're watching Alina this weekend."

"Are you sure you're up for that?" He reached out his hand and rubbed my belly.

"Jack, I'm pregnant, not an invalid." I put my hand on top of his. "Besides, you'll be here to help me. It'll be great practice."

He pressed his lips to mine. "Okay."

...

The following evening, Rosemary and Lee brought Alina over, along with bags of milk, bottles, baby food, clothes, and anything else she could possibly need in the two days she would be with us.

Rosemary thanked us more times than we could count before they finally stepped out the door.

"Well," Jack stood in the middle of the living room, Alina wiggling in his arms. "Now what?"

"You can play with her. There are some toys in the bag." I picked up the bag containing the bottles and milk. "I'm going to put all this away. Make sure you keep an eye on her; she's a fast crawler."

When I returned from the kitchen, Jack was sprawled out in the middle of the floor, and Alina was climbing all over him. I smiled at the sight, imagining him doing the same thing with our own child.

"Seems like little Miss Alina is really having fun with her uncle Jack."

He looked up at me with a grin. "If this is what it's like to have kids, I would like us to have twelve, please and thank you."

I smirked. "Let's see if you still feel that way when she starts crying or you have to change her diaper."

It wasn't long before he got to experience both of those, and he decided that maybe one baby was all we needed. Before we knew it, Alina was ready for a bottle and bedtime.

She fussed for a while before Jack was able to get her to take the bottle, but once she was full, she fell asleep quickly.

Jack slipped into the bed beside me after he put her down. He wrapped me in his arms, leaning his head against my shoulder.

"You're good at the dad stuff."

"You have no idea how much it means to me to hear you say that."

I rolled over to face him, bringing my hand to his cheek. "I always knew you would be a good dad."

"I've always wanted to be a dad, especially once I met you, but I never thought I would be this nervous." He sighed. "It's one thing to imagine having kids, but it's completely different to know what to do when the kid is real. I think maybe I'm so nervous because I was still a kid when I lost my dad. He never got to teach me how to be a dad."

"Jack…" I brushed my fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry that your dad isn't here to help you with this. He may not have gotten to tell you how to be a dad, but you were watching him, learning from him in the ways he interacted with you and your brother." I kissed him softly. "I know that I never met him, but I'm sure that he would tell you that you'll be a wonderful father. Half of being a good parent is loving your child, and you already have that down."

He gave a small smile and brought one hand to my stomach. "That's true. I love this baby so much, I can hardly stand it."

I put my hand on his. "So start with that. We're both going to make mistakes as parents, but what really matters is that this little one knows how much we love him."

"It's times like this when I'm really glad that I married someone so much smarter than me." He grinned and kissed my nose. "I love you, Beth. Thanks for making me feel better."

"Anytime." I leaned my head against his chest. "I love you, Jack. And I know deep in my heart that you will be an amazing father."

...

The following day, we took Alina and the dogs to the park, taking advantage of the beautiful May weather. I had packed a picnic lunch, and we spent hours laying in the sun, walking by the pond, and pushing Alina in the swings.

We were all exhausted by the time we returned home in the afternoon.

Rosemary called to check in while Alina was napping. After asking what seemed like a thousand questions, she finally seemed satisfied that her daughter was perfectly fine in our care.

The rest of the day passed quickly, and it was soon time for a bottle and bedtime once again.

...

"Hey, mom. What's up?" I put my phone on speaker and placed it on the counter while I warmed up a bottle.

"Elizabeth? Do I hear a baby crying? Did you forget to tell me something?"

I laughed softly. "No, mom. My due date is still a month away. Jack and I are babysitting our goddaughter this weekend."

"Just checking. Your father and I are still planning to come visit when the baby is born, so you better let us know when that is."

"You really think that I would forget to tell you when your grandchild is born?"

"Well, no." She laughed. "But it can get kind of crazy when you're in labor. I just don't want to miss anything."

Jack stepped into the room with a fussy Alina. I passed the bottle to him, and he quickly got her settled. "Don't worry, Mrs. Thatcher. I'll make sure she doesn't forget to tell you." He gave me a smug look.

"Thank you, Jack."

I rolled my eyes playfully. "Okay, mom, we all know you like Jack more than me. Now what was it you called for in the first place?"

"I really just wanted to see how you're doing, being so close to your due date."

"I'm feeling pretty good, or at least as good as I can feel at this point." I grabbed my phone and followed Jack into the living room. "I'm moving a lot slower now, but I'm still pretty comfortable. I'm just glad I won't still be pregnant when it really starts heating up." I sank into my spot on the sofa. "I sent you pictures of the nursery, right?"

"Yes, and it looks wonderful."

I sighed happily, resting my hand on my stomach. "I just can't wait until I finally get to hold him."

"There's nothing quite like holding your baby in your arms, knowing that she's a little piece of you and the man you love. You are going to be a great mother, Elizabeth."

"Thank you, mom."

"Well, I'll let you go now. You need to get all the rest you can before the little one comes. Don't forget you can call me if you have any questions about anything."

"I will, mom. I love you."

...

On Sunday, Rosemary and Lee pulled into their driveway shortly after Jack and I had arrived home from church. Rosemary came over straightaway, obviously in a hurry to see her little girl. Jack immediately handed the baby over.

Rosemary snuggled Alina to her chest. "Oh, my sweet girl. I'm so happy to see you. Daddy and I missed you so much." She looked up at us. "How was she? I hope she didn't give you too much trouble. Thank you so much again for watching her. It was really wonderful of you two to do that for us."

I chuckled as I brought the rest of the bags to the door. "She was great. We had a wonderful time with her, and we are more than happy to watch her whenever you need it."

"How are Lee's parents?"

"They're much better now, thank you for asking," Lee replied as he stepped through the doorway. He lifted the bags from the floor. "Well, we should probably get Alina settled back in at home. Thanks again for watching her."

"Anytime."

"Enjoy your baby-free house—at least for a little while longer." Rosemary winked as they headed back to their house.

Jack turned to face me. "I miss her already."

I pulled his hands to my stomach, smiling. "Well, our little one will be here very soon, and we won't have to give him back."

"I can't wait."

...

A/N Stay tuned because baby T is coming very soon!


	30. Chapter 30

A/N Thank you all for the sweet comments! I actually wrote the last part of this chapter quite a while ago, so I'm happy I finally get to share it with you! I hope you enjoy it :)

...

It was the final day of school, and the children were all restless and full of questions when they returned from lunch. I indulged them, as I didn't have the energy to convince them to settle down.

"Mrs. Thornton, how much longer before your baby is born?"

I rubbed my hand across my stomach. "About three more weeks. My doctor said the baby should be born in the middle of June, but most babies aren't born on the exact day that the doctor says."

"Why not?"

"Well, the day that the doctor says is just a guess. There's no way to know exactly when a baby will be born. Babies are usually born close to that day, though."

"Does the baby have a name yet?"

"Yes and no. We don't know what the baby is, so we have to choose a girl's name and a boy's name. If the baby is a girl, her name will be Nora. We still haven't decided on a boy's name, though."

"So if the baby is a boy, he won't have a name?"

I chuckled. "He'll have a name. We still have a few weeks to pick something before the baby is born. Plus, some babies don't get names until a few days after they're born, so we may just wait to see if the baby is a boy before we pick a name." I moved to my desk and sat in the chair. "If you come see me when you come back in the fall, I'll show you pictures and tell you the baby's name."

The children chattered excitedly.

"Okay, that's enough questions. Now, I know you don't really want to do any work since it's the last day, but if you all go choose a book and read quietly for the next twenty or thirty minutes, we can all play a game for the rest of the day. _But_ , you have to be quiet. This isn't time to talk with your friends. You can do that later."

By the time I left for the day, I was drained. It had been a good last day, but naturally, the children had been more energetic than usual. It would have been a tiring day under normal circumstances, but for someone who was nine months pregnant, it was completely exhausting.

When I arrived home, I wanted nothing more than to go straight to bed for a nap, but I found a group of my friends sitting around the living room.

Rosemary approached me, looking a bit guilty. "Okay, I know you said you didn't want a shower, but I couldn't help it." She took my arm as we headed toward the living room. "And in my defense, Abigail wanted you to have a shower, too."

I smiled. "Thank you for at least keeping it small." As I glanced around the room, I noticed that there weren't too many people there: Rosemary, Abigail, Becky, Clara, and Faith—who was holding Alina in her lap.

I was greeted by a chorus of "hello"s as I settled onto the sofa.

Abigail sat beside me. "Don't worry. I made Rosemary keep things simple. It's just snacks and presents. And we aren't planning on staying long. I know it was your last day of school today, and I'm sure you just want to relax."

I squeezed her hand. "Thank you." I accepted a glass of water from her. "Did you ask Jack to stay away for a while, or did he just run away when he saw all of you coming?"

She chuckled. "We told him he could stay, but he went next door with Lee."

There was a knock at the door, and Rosemary jumped up before I could move. "Stay right there and relax. I'll get it."

She returned a few moments later with Jack's mother.

"Charlotte? I wasn't expecting to see you today."

"Hi, Lizzy." She approached me, leaning down to give me a hug. "Look at you. You look wonderful." She motioned to my stomach. "May I?"

I moved my arms and nodded, allowing her to place her hand on my stomach.

I felt a few little jolts inside of me, happening at even intervals. I laughed softly. "He has the hiccups right now."

She smiled. "Jack had the hiccups all the time when I was pregnant with him."

"Does he know you're here?"

She nodded. "I let him know I was coming when Rosemary invited me. He said I could stay for the weekend. I hope that's okay."

"Of course."

"Okay, I know our dear Elizabeth just wants to relax, so why don't we get this party going?"

I gave Abigail a thankful smile and settled back into the sofa as they moved a pile of gifts in front of me.

Thirty minutes later, I was surrounded by stacks of blankets and toys and diapers and clothes. If I didn't know before that my baby was loved, I did now. Tears welled up in my eyes as it sank in just how much support I had around me.

I wiped a tear from my cheek. "I love you all so much." I rested my hands on my stomach, and the baby shifted inside of me. "The baby says he loves you all, too."

"We love you, too."

Within the next half hour, all of my friends had returned home, leaving me with Charlotte and Jack, who had come back once he knew the party was over.

They helped me carry all of the gifts up to the nursery. I sat in the glider as I folded tiny clothes to fill the dresser.

"Oh, I forgot something in my car. I'll be right back."

I looked at Jack curiously after Charlotte left the room. He just shrugged and continued stacking packages of diapers in the closet.

"Are you sure this was just a small shower?" He stepped back, looking at everything that our friends had brought.

I smiled. "This little one is very, very loved." I brushed my fingers across my stomach.

Charlotte returned shortly, a package in her hands.

"Mom, we really don't need anything else."

"Oh hush, son." She handed the box to me. "This is my first grandchild. I'm pretty sure it's a requirement that I go overboard with the presents."

I carefully opened the box, revealing a beautiful handmade quilt. "Oh, Charlotte…" Tears filled my eyes once again. "This is wonderful. I would hug you, but I'm kind of stuck right now." I laughed softly.

She walked over and put her arms around me. "And just so you know, I plan on making one of those for each and every grandbaby you two give me."

"Thank you so much."

"Thanks, mom." Jack pulled her into his arms. "I love you."

...

Charlotte returned home on Sunday, and I spent much of my time the next week with Rosemary and Alina. Jack was working extra shifts so he could take a bit more time off once the baby came. Though I enjoyed my time with my friend and goddaughter, I missed my husband. The weekend rolled around, and I just wanted to spend the day with him.

I woke when I felt Jack stirring in the bed beside me. "Jack?"

"Shh, I have to get ready for work. You just go back to sleep." He brushed the hair from my face and kissed me softly.

"It's Saturday. Do you really have to work?" I shifted closer to him. "I miss you."

"Crime doesn't take a break, and this is all so I can be there for you and the baby." He kissed me again, rubbing a hand across my stomach. "You just spend the day relaxing, and I'll be home before you know it."

I sighed. "Fine."

"I love you."

"I love you, too." I watched him slide from the bed and step into the bathroom. Nearly nine months after our wedding, it still amazed me that he was really my husband.

I closed my eyes as I listened to the shower turn on, trying to rest, when I felt a sharp pain in my lower belly. I sat up quickly, rubbing my stomach.

"Oh, baby. What was that?"

The pain felt different from anything I had experienced before. I breathed deeply, waiting for the pain to pass. After a few moments, I was hit with intense anxiety as the realization settled over me. I was in labor.

I rolled onto my side, trying to get more comfortable. I knew that it would likely be a while before I needed to get to the hospital given that I had only had one contraction thus far.

I was finally able to relax, and I fell back to sleep before I had a chance to tell Jack that our baby was coming. By the time I woke again, he had already left for work.

The contractions stalled at twenty minutes apart for most of the morning. I moved throughout the house, cleaning and organizing everything to pass the time. I put the hospital bag by the front door. I still hadn't told Jack that I was in labor, knowing that he would insist on coming home immediately even though my labor seemed to be progressing very slowly.

I took Bronte out for a bit, just down the street and back, hoping the walk would move things along.

Three o'clock rolled around, and my contractions had moved closer together—only ten minutes apart. I debated on whether I should tell Jack yet. I had been in labor for over seven hours, and he had no idea.

By four, my contractions were at seven minutes apart, and they were becoming excruciating. I finally picked up my phone, praying that Jack wouldn't be angry that I had neglected to tell him that I had been laboring all day.

"Jack?"

"Is everything okay?"

I gritted my teeth and groaned as I was hit by another pain, unable to answer him.

"Elizabeth?! What's going on? Are you okay?"

"Um, I need you to come home. We need to get to the hospital. Contractions are seven minutes apart."

"The baby's coming?"

"Yes, Jack. Please hurry."

"I'm on my way."

I hung up the phone and lowered myself onto the couch. Bronte nudged my hand. "Hey, Bee. Are you ready to have a baby around?" I rubbed my stomach.

I had been so distracted by the contractions that I had failed to notice the dark clouds gathering in the sky. Thunder crashed outside and Rip whined. I hoped Jack would get home soon so we could beat the storm. It took over half an hour to get to the hospital from our house, and a storm would definitely slow traffic.

I leaned back and breathed deeply as I was hit with another contraction. "Hang in there, baby. We'll get you out of there soon."

What seemed like an eternity later, Jack arrived home, followed by Abigail, Clara, and Faith.

"Elizabeth, you aren't going to want to hear this, but we can't make it to the hospital."

I groaned. "Why?"

"This storm is moving too quickly. The roads are already getting bad. A lot of them are closed. I can't risk us getting stranded out there somewhere." He rubbed my back. "I guess it's pretty convenient that we're friends with a midwife." He looked over at Faith, who was preparing to check how my labor was progressing. "And Abigail and Clara are here to help. This baby is going to be born here."

Jack stayed on the couch beside me while Abigail and Clara gathered things from around the house as Faith instructed them. The storm outside intensified.

"I'm sorry, Jack." Tears filled my eyes.

"For what?"

"I should've told you when I started having contractions this morning. We could've made it to the hospital then."

He wiped a tear from my cheek. "Beth, everything will be okay. We can't change anything now." He kissed my hair. "Just breathe. We're going to have a baby today."

Faith approached me. "Elizabeth, do you think you can manage the stairs? I need to check how you're progressing, and it would be easiest if you could lay on the bed."

"I can try."

She put her arm around my waist, supporting me as we slowly made our way up the stairs.

"Has your water broken?"

"Not yet." I paused halfway up the staircase as I was hit with another contraction. I took a few deep breaths when it passed, feeling warmth drip down my legs. "Um, I guess I spoke too soon."

Faith chuckled. "Well that is some really amazing timing."

We made it the rest of the way to the bedroom, and she did a thorough exam, ensuring that the baby was in a good position and that it would be safe for me to deliver at home. Thankfully, she had lots of experience delivering babies, and she had been able to bring most of her equipment.

Before we returned to the living room, I changed into dry clothes so I would be a little more comfortable for the remainder of my labor. Faith had determined that I was only dilated seven centimeters, and I still had a little while before I would be ready to deliver, though she stated that my labor may progress more rapidly now that my water had broken.

The storm continued to rage around us. Rip and Bronte were huddled up together beneath the dining room table. I paced the living room with Jack, praying that the baby would come soon. We crowded into the downstairs bathroom when the storm reached its peak and the sirens blared outside. Eventually, we lost power, and I was forced to deliver the baby by candlelight.

The sirens stopped for a few minutes, but started up again when another storm cell reached us. Jack held me while we waited.

Finally, Faith announced that I was ready to push. Abigail and Clara waited just outside the bathroom to give us a bit more room. Jack stayed by my head, holding my hand and whispering encouragements in my ear. Faith coached me for almost an hour. By the end, I felt like I didn't have the energy to continue.

Then, nearly thirteen and a half hours after my first contraction, a cry filled the small room. We all fell silent, in awe of the infant squirming in Faith's arms. Baby Thornton had finally arrived.


	31. Chapter 31

A/N Sorry for making you wait to find out what the baby is! I actually wrote two versions of this chapter -one with a boy and one with a girl- and I didn't decide which one to use until pretty recently. I hope you enjoy it!

...

Jack brushed the hair from my face, placing a soft kiss on my forehead. "A beautiful little boy. We have a son."

Faith immediately placed the screaming infant on my chest. His cries quieted to whimpers as I gently rubbed his back. "Hi there, sweet boy. I love you so much." Tears filled my eyes as I looked into the face of my son, the amazing life that Jack and I created together. He had been inside of me for nine months, and it was surreal that he was now in my arms.

I was reluctant to hand him over when Abigail stated that she needed to bring him to Faith to clean him up and check him over.

"You did a great job, Beth. I'm so proud of you." Jack touched my cheek. "Do you think you'll feel up to moving upstairs in a bit? You'll probably be a lot more comfortable there."

"Can I rest here for a little while first?"

"Of course you can. Whatever you want."

Abigail approached us, our son bundled up in a towel. "He's nice and clean now." She grinned as she handed him to Jack. "Does this little man have a name yet?"

"Not yet, but I have one idea."

Jack looked at me curiously. I motioned with my finger for him to move closer. He carefully leaned forward, readjusting the baby in his arms.

After I whispered the name to him, he sat and thought about it for a moment. "Really?"

I nodded. "The moment I saw his face, that's the name that popped into my head. I like it so much more than the other names we've talked about. You can pick the middle name, if you want."

"Let me think about it." He passed our son to me. "I'm going to grab your phone so we can let our parents know he's here."

"Can you help me upstairs first?" I glanced over at Faith. "Is it okay for me to move?"

"Yeah, you can move as long as you feel up to it."

Ten minutes later, I was settled in my bed, my new son snuggled in my arms. Faith, Abigail, and Clara had kindly offered to clean up downstairs so Jack and I could focus on bonding with our little boy.

Jack sat beside me, draping his arm across my shoulders. "We should call our parents before it gets too late."

I nodded in agreement. I looked down at our son, who was now showing signs of hunger. Jack called his mom and put the phone on speaker while I shifted the baby in my arms.

"Jack? Is everything okay?"

He grinned. "Everything is great. You have a grandson."

"Oh, that's wonderful!"

"He's beautiful. I'll send you a picture later when he's done eating." He brushed his fingers through the baby's soft hair. "He doesn't have a name yet, but we'll let you know as soon as we decide."

"Let me know when Lizzy is feeling up to some visitors so Grandma Charlotte can meet this little man."

"I will. Okay, we need to call Elizabeth's parents now and let them know, so I'll talk to you later. I love you, mom."

"I love you, too. Congratulations, son."

After he ended the call, he dialed my mom's number, and we had a similar conversation with my parents.

The baby had finished eating, and I passed him to Jack.

"So, his middle name. I have an idea."

...

Jack put a clean diaper on the baby and wrapped him back up. He walked around the bed to place the baby in my arms.

"Jack Edward Thornton, you are the most perfect baby I have ever seen." I stroked his cheek. He looked just like his father.

"Well, with you as his mom, how could he not be perfect?" Jack lowered himself into the bed beside me.

"He's also half you, so you must be pretty perfect, too. Right, Teddy? Your dad is pretty great, isn't he?"

He kissed my cheek and reached over, smoothing down the baby's dark hair. "Wow, we made a really cute baby."

"That we did." I turned to meet his gaze. "I love you, Jack."

"I love you. You're amazing, Elizabeth."

"Amazing and _right_. I told you we were going to have a boy." I smirked.

"You're going to remind me of that forever, aren't you?"

I shrugged and smiled. "Probably."

I looked down, and Teddy yawned. A low rumble of thunder sounded outside; the storm that had raged for hours was finally dying down. Jack put his arm around me, pulling me close.

"You know, it's a shame that Rosemary and Lee aren't here. Rosie would've really appreciated his dramatic timing."

Jack chuckled. "Speaking of Rosemary and Lee, we should probably call them first thing in the morning to let them know about their new neighbor."

"Yeah. Rosemary is going to be so happy. She's been telling Alina about her new friend for like seven months now." I yawned. "You know, it's almost like we're living in some frontier town out west in the early 1900s or something, having a baby in our house without any electricity."

"That's true."

"Although, I have a feeling most frontier women did not give birth in bathrooms with a tornado happening outside."

"The tornado was like five whole miles away from here." He laughed softly. "But that is going to be a great story to tell him someday. Hey." He kissed my cheek. "How about I put him to bed, and we all try to get a little sleep?"

I nodded and passed our son to him. I leaned my head on my pillow, and I was asleep before Jack returned to the bed.

...

I woke to the smell of eggs cooking downstairs. Abigail and Clara had stayed overnight in the guest room, so they had probably gotten up early to make breakfast. Jack was still asleep beside me. I stood quietly and peeked into the bassinet. Teddy looked up at me, wide awake. I carried him to the glider, which had been moved from the nursery for the time being.

Jack woke while I was feeding him. He kissed the top of my head. "Good morning, mama."

I smiled. "Good morning, _dad_."

"I'm going to see what's going on downstairs."

"Okay. We'll be here."

Teddy fell asleep in my arms soon after he finished eating. I continued rocking him, not wanting to put him down yet. His little dimpled hand twitched while he dreamed.

"Hey, Abigail made breakfast. I can bring you a plate if you aren't up to going downstairs."

I shook my head. "I'll head down in a little while. I don't want to wake him, and he just went down a few minutes ago."

"Okay." He touched Teddy's cheek. "You should probably know that we have some guests downstairs, too."

"Who?"

"Rosemary, Lee, Alina, Becky, and Cody. The kids stayed with Rosie and Lee last night because of the storm."

I put my hand on his arm. "Tell them I'll be down soon, and they can see the baby as soon as he wakes up again."

"Will do." He headed toward the stairs. "Oh, also," he stopped in the doorway, "the power is still out."

I groaned. A day full of the June sun was bound to be hot, and it would be miserable without an air conditioner.

I heard the chatter get louder downstairs and decided that it was time to greet our guests. Teddy stayed asleep when I placed him in the bassinet. I pulled on my robe as I headed toward the living room.

"Good morning, Elizabeth. How are you feeling?" Abigail placed a plate of food on the table and ushered me over.

I sighed. "Exhausted. Happy. Terrified. Sore. You name it, I'm feeling it." I picked at the fruit and eggs on the plate in front of me. "Hey, Jack said the kids were here." I looked around the room, noticing they were absent.

Rosemary sat in the chair beside me. "They were getting restless, so they just went with Lee and Alina to take the dogs for a walk." She took a sip of coffee. "So, I hear this son of yours is all about the dramatic entrance."

I laughed and nodded. "Not only did he decide to come two weeks early, but of course, it had to be in the middle of the worst storm we've had this year. Did they tell you he was born by candlelight in the bathtub?"

"The bathtub?" Her eyes grew wide. "And I thought Alina's arrival was dramatic. I think I'm going to get along really well with this little boy of yours."

I felt Jack's hand on my shoulder. "Will you be okay if I head out for a little while? I know I said I would take off work, but they're short-staffed right now. I need to make sure nobody needs anything. It'll just be an hour or two."

"I'll be fine. Be careful, though. No going into buildings where beams might fall on you."

He chuckled, but he knew the seriousness of my statement. It hadn't even been a year since he was injured and I could have lost him. "Faith said she'd drop by sometime later today just to check up on you and Teddy again." He kissed my cheek. "I'll be back soon. I love you."

"I love you, too."

"You two are just so cute." Clara spoke up after the front door closed behind Jack.

I rolled my eyes. "What about you and Jesse? You two are pretty cute yourselves."

She blushed. "You sound just like Abigail."

I heard the baby fuss upstairs. Rosemary stopped me as I began to stand. "I'll get him and bring him down. It's about time I meet this little boy of yours, anyway." She winked and headed up the stairs.

By the time she returned, Teddy was asleep again, perfectly comfortable in his aunt Rosemary's arms.

"Elizabeth, he is just perfect. You said his name is Teddy?"

I nodded. "It's technically Jack Edward, but we decided it would be less confusing if we didn't call him Jack."

"Great. Now Lee is going to want a son named after him." She laughed.

"Jack actually suggested Jack Junior as a joke when I was only a few months along. I honestly didn't give it any more thought until he was born, though. Jack wasn't fully on board until we compromised. Jack chose his middle name and suggested we call him Teddy."

"Mm, that newborn smell is just intoxicating." She snuggled my son close. "He's a big one."

"Oh, believe me, I know. I could tell when I was pushing all nine and a half pounds of him out of me."

"Goodness! Nine and a half pounds? Without an epidural?! Bless you, Elizabeth."

"Yes, I wouldn't recommend it." I laughed softly. "And to think, he would've weighed even more had he not been born early." I shuddered at the thought.

"Okay, Aunt Abigail's turn to hold this little man."

Rosemary reluctantly handed the baby over to his godmother.

"Oh my goodness, look at this sweetheart." Abigail looked up at me and smiled. "I didn't get a great look at him last night. He looks like Jack."

"Doesn't he? Jack said he doesn't see it, but seriously, it's like Teddy is his clone."

...

Jack returned a few hours after he had left, leading another person into the house. "Hey. Look who I ran into."

Faith waved as she followed him inside.

"Didn't I just see you?" We both laughed. "Teddy is asleep, so we can head upstairs."

Rosemary was the last of our guests, and she took the opportunity to excuse herself and head home.

Faith checked me over and asked a few questions about how I was feeling before she brought Teddy over to the bed. "I know I said this last night, but he is just adorable."

I laughed softly. "Thank you. I agree."

She wrapped him back up and handed him to me. "You both seem to be doing well. I already told Jack this, but I would suggest you drop by the hospital so you and the baby can get checked out by a doctor. And I'll let you know when Carson is back in town so you can bring him into the office and get a checkup there."

"Thank you, Faith. Hey," I shifted Teddy in my arms, "how are you and Carson?"

She blushed slightly. "We're doing well."

She and Carson met when he began working as a pediatrician in the same office where she worked as a nurse-midwife. They had been dating since shortly after Jack and I got married.

"I'm glad to hear that."

"Well, I'll see you later, Elizabeth. And let me know if you need anything else before Carson gets back."

"I will." I followed her down the stairs. "Thank you again." I hugged her before she left.

...

After a few hours in the hospital and multiple tests, Teddy and I were both given a clean bill of health, and Jack and I were allowed to return home with our perfect son.

I settled into the couch with Teddy snuggled up in my arms. Jack sat beside me, and I leaned into his shoulder.

"We're finally alone." He kissed the top of my head and wrapped his arm around me.

"I still can't believe we're parents, Jack. We really have a baby."

He reached over and touched Teddy's cheek. "He's amazing. You're amazing."

"I love you, Jack." I pulled away from him after a few moments. "Sorry, it's just so hot in here, and you're like a furnace."

"Hopefully the power will be back up soon. I'm sorry it's so miserable."

I shook my head. "It's not your fault."

"I have an idea." He kissed my temple. "How about I take Teddy for a little while and you can take a nap?"

"Jack, that's sweet, but I know you're exhausted, too."

"Yes, but he didn't come out of me. You deserve a little rest." He touched my cheek.

"Are you sure?"

He took the baby from my arms before I could protest. "Just go. I promise to come wake you if we need anything."

"I don't deserve you, Jack Thornton." I stood and kissed his hair before I headed up to our room.

...

I rubbed my eyes as I quietly stepped down the stairs. Rip lay stretched out beside the couch. "Jack?" I walked around the house; Jack was nowhere to be found. I heard Bronte bark in the backyard.

I pushed the back door open, and Bronte rushed up to me.

"Hey, Bee." I patted her head.

"Hi." Jack spoke from the porch swing. Teddy was nestled in his arms, sleeping peacefully.

"Hi." I sat beside him. "Thank you for letting me rest. How was he?" I nodded toward our son.

"A little fussy, but I got him settled. He'll probably be hungry when he wakes up again."

I leaned my head on his shoulder. "I still can't believe he's finally here. Thank you, Jack."

He kissed the top of my head. "For what?"

"Well, without you, I wouldn't have him."

He chuckled. "I should be thanking you. You did all the hard work. My job was easy."

I nudged his side. "You put up with me for the past nine months. That's no small feat."

"I'd say everything from the past nine months was worth it." He looked down at the baby sleeping peacefully in his arms.

I gently touched Teddy's soft cheek, a smile playing on my lips. "Definitely."

The corner of his mouth turned up in his sleep, revealing a tiny dimple.

I sighed contentedly. "Oh my goodness, I just love him so much. I can't believe we made him, Jack. He's really ours."

"He is. He's wonderful." He brushed his fingers through my hair, meeting my gaze. "I love you, Beth."


	32. Chapter 32

Jack softly knocked on the bathroom door and nudged it open. I opened my eyes and lifted my head from the side of the tub. He was standing in the doorway. Teddy was curled against his chest, whimpering quietly.

"Elizabeth, I'm sorry for disturbing you. I know you're trying to relax, but the little man is hungry."

I sighed. "Just give me a minute to dry off."

I stepped out of the tub and quickly toweled off before slipping my robe on. I settled on the bed, and Jack passed the baby to me.

"I wish I could help with the feedings. You do so much for him."

"Right now, I don't really mind it, except sometimes in the middle of the night. But even then, it's not the worst thing." I looked down at the baby, a smile playing on my lips. He blinked sleepily as he ate. "We'll need to introduce him to a bottle eventually so I can go back to work. You'll be able to help with feedings then."

"It's crazy to think that it was just a few days ago when he was still inside you. I feel like he's been with us forever."

"I know exactly what you mean." I stared at my son's face. He was the little human who spent nine months inside of me, keeping me awake with his kicking, moving around when he heard our voices. Now he had spent three days in our arms. It was all so amazing. "I still can't believe we had a part in creating something so beautiful."

"He's a little miracle, that's for sure."

I brushed my finger across the bottom of Teddy's foot as he continued eating and watched his little toes spread apart. I smiled. "I love his little baby reflexes."

"Baby reflexes?"

I laughed softly. "I forget that you didn't take a bunch of classes on child development like I did. Babies are born with some reflexes that they'll eventually grow out of. The foot thing is one. Sucking on whatever is in their mouth is another." I shifted him in my arms, ensuring that he was eating again before I continued speaking. "Here, touch his palm."

Teddy immediately closed his hand around Jack's finger. Jack grinned.

"That's another one."

"Wow. You learn something new every day."

We both lapsed into a peaceful silence as we watched our son fill his belly. It was absolutely magical.

"Have I mentioned how happy I am that the power is back on?" The power had finally been restored that morning after two and a half days of being down. Carrying Teddy around all the time was like having a little space heater in my arms, and it was so nice to have the air conditioner back up and running.

He grinned. "You may have said something to that effect just a time or two."

"Hey, babe?"

"Hmm?" He rested his arm across my shoulders.

"I was thinking that maybe this weekend would be a good time for our parents to visit. Teddy will be a week old by then, and that gives us a few more days to get settled in with him."

"That's a good idea. I'll call my mom tomorrow."

"And maybe we can check with the pastor to see if we can have him baptized while our parents are here."

"I'll call him tomorrow, too."

Teddy pulled away, and I held him out to Jack. "Can you burp him so I can get dressed?"

"On it." He lifted the baby to his shoulder as I moved from the bed.

I quickly slipped into a pair of shorts and one of Jack's t-shirts. I stood by the dresser for a moment, just watching Jack and Teddy. The baby looked so tiny and fragile in Jack's arms, but Jack cradled him against his shoulder so carefully. It was amazing how easily he slipped into his role as a father.

He glanced up at me. "What's going on in that beautiful head of yours?"

I returned to my spot beside him. "I just love seeing you as a father. I've been imagining what it would be like for so long, but it's so much better than I imagined. I'm so glad that our kids get to have you as a dad."

"Well, I'm so glad they get to have you as a mom." He leaned over and kissed me. "Is the little one asleep yet?" He turned so I could see Teddy's face.

His little eyes were closed, his tiny lips opened slightly.

"Yes." I brushed my fingers through his soft hair and touched my lips to his forehead. "Night, Teddy Bear."

Jack kissed the little baby on the top of his head before he lowered him into the bassinet. "Let's see how long he lets us sleep tonight."

"I give him an hour to an hour and a half before he's up again."

We slid under the covers, Jack pulling me to his chest. I tucked my head beneath his chin as he traced gentle circles on my back.

"Mm, have I ever told you how much I love when you wear my clothes? It makes them smell like you."

I laughed softly. "Well, right now, I'm fairly certain that I just smell like everything that can possibly come out of a baby, so that can't be very pleasant."

He nuzzled his face into my hair, inhaling deeply. "No, you still smell like my Elizabeth."

"That's reassuring." I moved even closer to him. "We need to get to sleep. The little man is going to be waking us up way too soon."

"I love you, Beth."

I sighed into his chest. "I love you, too."

...

Just over an hour after we lay down, I woke to the sound of Teddy shifting around in the bassinet. I slipped out of Jack's arms to tend to the baby.

I settled into the glider with Teddy snuggled in my arms. I could tell he was getting frustrated that I was taking so long to get him situated. "Okay, little man. I know you're hungry. Hang on."

Within a couple of minutes, Jack woke as well and quietly sat up in the bed. He stretched and yawned. "That boy is insatiable, isn't he?"

I smiled. "Sometimes it feels that way. He's getting to the point where he gets mad if I don't start feeding him fast enough."

"That's my boy." He grinned.

"Don't act so smug. Soon, you'll be helping with feedings, too. Then he'll be getting mad at you." I covered my mouth as I yawned. "Okay, bud. Are you getting full? Let's get you burped and back to bed."

A few minutes later, he was back in his bassinet, sleeping soundly. I returned to the bed, immediately settling against Jack.

"You know, you don't have to wake up for all the night feeds."

"I know, but I like to. It's so peaceful in the middle of the night. Everything is so quiet, and the light is dim. It's almost like the three of us are in a different world."

"Peaceful, but exhausting."

"He's worth it."

"Definitely."

He slipped his arms around me. "Plus, I like to wake up for the night feeds because I love seeing you with him. The bond you two already have is just magical."

I smiled, leaning up to kiss him. "He's a little bit of me and a little bit of you, so I feel like I already know him. Not to mention the fact that I had nine months to get to know him when he was literally a part of me." I reached up and touched his cheek. "I can tell you already have a special bond with him, too. He loves his daddy. And, for the record, I love his daddy, too."

He kissed my nose. "I love you, Beth."

...

When I woke in the morning, Jack was sitting in the glider with Teddy curled up against his bare chest, looking so tiny.

"Good morning, beautiful." He grinned. "The little man hasn't been up for long, but he's already had his diaper changed this morning, and we've just been having some father-son bonding time since then. I imagine he'll start fussing for a feeding pretty soon."

I sat up and stretched. "Did you remember to cover him when you changed his diaper?"

"Well, um, no." He laughed. "You'd think I would've learned since the three times it happened before. But in my defense, I was still trying to wake up."

I chuckled. "I bet that little shower woke you up."

"That wasn't really the kind of shower I expected this morning. How did you know I forgot to cover him?"

I made my way over to him, running my fingers over the warm skin of his shoulder. "You were wearing a shirt when we went to bed."

"Busted." He stood up to let me have the glider. "Okay, little man, time to go to mama so you can eat." He lowered the baby into my arms. "Are you good here?"

I nodded, then glanced down at Teddy while I situated him in my arms.

"Okay, I'm going to take a real shower now, with water instead of…you know." He laughed as he walked toward the bathroom.

I smiled as Teddy started eating. "Good morning, Teddy Bear. Did you have some good bonding time with your daddy this morning? He's a good one. You don't know it yet, but you're very, very lucky to have him as your daddy. I love him a lot." I brushed my fingers through his soft hair. "You look just like him, you handsome little man. That's why I wanted to name you Jack. As soon as I saw your sweet little face, I knew you needed your daddy's name."

He was dozing as he continued to eat, his tiny fingers gripping the t-shirt I wore. His warm little body rested against my skin.

"What do you think we should do today, bud? We could go sit outside for a little while, maybe read a book or two."

Jack came out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. "Please tell me you aren't planning to read _Jane Eyre_ to our four-day-old son."

"Hey, you're never too young to appreciate the classics, especially a good Charlotte Bronte." I resituated Teddy in my arms. "Plus, his middle name is Edward."

Jack rolled his eyes playfully as he slipped on a pair of shorts. "I know you suggested Edward because of that book, but you know I chose it because of my uncle."

"We can say it's both."

He kissed the top of my head. "Lord, help us if he inherited your stubbornness."

I grinned at him. "You love it."

He grabbed a cloth from the stack on the nightstand. "I'll burp him when he's done."

I glanced down. Teddy was nearly asleep, his eyelids drooping as he turned his head away. "Perfect timing."

Jack and I switched places again. A smile stretched across my face as I watched him cradle Teddy against his shoulder. "Go get the book. I know you want to. I'll get him dressed and meet you downstairs."

"You're the best, Jack Thornton."

...

I was settled on the sofa with the book open in my lap when Jack came down the stairs with Teddy.

I felt the corners of my lips rise at the sight. "There are my two favorite Thornton men."

Jack sank down beside me, brushing his lips across my temple. "I love you."

"I love you, too. So much." I pressed my lips to his. "And every time I see you with our perfect son, I fall even more in love with you."

He snuggled Teddy close. "He _is_ perfect, and to think that we made him, Elizabeth."

"We did." I felt a blush rise in my cheeks. "Okay, we came down here for family story time, so we should probably get on that before the little man gets hungry again."

He laughed softly and touched my cheek. "Good idea, because knowing him, we don't have long."

Bronte curled up in front of the sofa. Just as we had predicted, she was so protective of Teddy, and she was never far from where he was.

I smiled as I picked the book up from my lap. "Get ready for the best book, Teddy Bear." I brushed my fingers across his cheek before I opened the worn cover. "'There was no possibility of taking a walk that day.'"

Jack's fingers moved slowly up and down my arm as I continued to read aloud. Teddy cooed quietly. My heart was full.


	33. Chapter 33

Jack's voice floated up the stairs. "Hey, Beth? What time is their flight supposed to arrive?"

"They landed a few minutes ago. They should be here in a little over an hour." I peeked into the bassinet, making sure Teddy was still asleep. His chest rose and fell rhythmically with his breath, his dark hair was sticking out in all directions.

"Okay. My mom should be here any minute." He entered the room. "How's our boy?"

"Good. Still sleeping. Looking very cute." I smiled as his little fingers twitched in his sleep.

Jack chuckled. "He does look very cute when he sleeps. His bedhead is the best."

I met his eyes and ran my fingers through his hair. "That's because he takes after you. Your bedhead is pretty great, too." I stood on my toes to kiss him.

Jack stepped closer to me, sliding one arm around me before leaning in to kiss me again, his other hand reaching up to my cheek.

We were interrupted by a knock at the door. Bronte barked.

He sighed, obviously unhappy at having been interrupted. "That's probably my mom." He squeezed my hand and left the room.

I carefully lifted the baby from the bassinet, trying to avoid waking him. He squirmed a bit, but thankfully, he didn't wake fully.

I heard Jack answer the door as I came down the stairs.

"Hi, mom."

"Hey, son."

Jack pulled her into an embrace. I approached them quietly, Teddy still nestled in my arms.

"Lizzy, you look great." Charlotte hugged me gently.

"Thanks. I don't really feel it, though. I feel like I haven't slept in a month. This little man is definitely a handful."

"Sounds like his daddy." She winked at Jack as she took the baby from my arms. A smile spread across her face as she looked down at him. "Wow, he looks just like his daddy, too."

I laughed softly. "That's what everyone keeps saying, but Jack doesn't see it. I don't get it, because Teddy looks exactly like him. There's no denying that Jack is his father."

"I mean, he _kind of_ looks like me, but I don't think he looks _exactly_ like me. He's got you in him, too."

"No, she's right, Jack. He looks exactly like you. This brings me back to the day almost twenty-seven years ago when I held you for the first time. I'll need to bring some baby pictures next time, and then maybe you'll see it."

We moved to the living room. Charlotte and I sat down beside each other on the sofa, while Jack took a seat in the armchair.

"So, how does it feel to be a grandma?"

She grinned, her eyes still locked on Teddy's face. "Wonderful. How does it feel to be a mom?"

"It's exhausting." We all chuckled. "But amazing. And Jack is an amazing father, which helps a lot."

"I expected nothing less. He's wanted this for a long time." She met his eyes, and he responded with a grin.

Teddy woke up and started squirming in her arms. I glanced at the clock on the wall. "Right on time."

She passed him to me. "I remember those days. Sometimes it feels like all they do is eat."

I smiled. "That's exactly how it feels with this one." I stood up. "I'm going to take him upstairs so I can change his diaper, too." I settled into the glider in my bedroom, situating Teddy in my arms. "Time to eat, Teddy Bear."

As he ate, I could hear Jack and Charlotte talking softly downstairs.

"So, little man, what do you think of your Grandma Charlotte? We like her a lot. I haven't known her for very long, but I know she already loves you very much. You know, you're her very first grandbaby. That makes you very special. I'm sure she's going to spoil you rotten." I stroked his cheek. "She's your daddy's mom. Your daddy has a brother, too, your uncle Tom. You'll get to meet him someday, hopefully soon. I'm sorry you won't get to meet your daddy's dad. I never got to meet him, either, but I'm sure he would've loved being your grandpa."

Thirty minutes later, I was wiping Teddy down as he proceeded to spit up all over himself—and me. I stripped him out of his now-soaked onesie, laying him in the bassinet in nothing but a diaper while I changed my own shirt.

"Okay, little man. I hope that's all out of your system, because we don't need you spitting up all over your grandparents. I know you can't help it, but we can try, okay?" He cooed as I carried him down the hall to the nursery.

As I was changing his diaper, I heard the front door open, and Jack's muffled voice called out.

"Did anyone order some Thatchers?"

I smiled down at Teddy as I fastened the fresh diaper on him. "Sounds like your nana and papa Thatcher are here, bud. They're my mom and dad. What do you say we get you looking extra cute for them?"

I put him in a gray romper with a teddy bear face on it. It was a happy coincidence that we happened to receive so many outfits for him with bears on them, all before we had chosen his name.

I turned when I heard Jack enter the room.

"Hey, babe. I'll be right down. He just ate and had a diaper change, and then he had a bit of a spitting-up incident, so _then_ he got a nice cleaning. He should be nice and happy now."

He laughed. "Wow, sounds like I missed out on all the fun."

After slipping some little socks onto his feet, I passed him to Jack, and we headed downstairs to greet my parents. They were standing by the sofa, talking to Charlotte.

"Hi, mom and dad. It's good to see you."

"Hi, Elizabeth." They smiled and welcomed me into their arms.

"Hey, I'm here, too." My sister stepped into the room, having apparently been hiding in the entryway.

"Julie? No one told me you were coming." I walked over and hugged her tightly.

"I wanted to surprise you. But in all honesty, I'm mostly just here to meet my nephew."

Everyone crowded around Jack, who shifted the baby in his arms so they could all get a better look at him.

"You got here at the perfect time. Somebody decided to spit up all over himself—and I mean _all over_ —so he just got a thorough cleaning."

"Oh, look at you. Aren't you just the cutest little thing?" Julie eagerly held out her arms, wanting so badly to hold her new nephew. Jack carefully handed him over. "Hi, Teddy. I'm your auntie Julie."

Charlotte and Jack and I stood and watched my family interact with the baby. Charlotte put her hand on Jack's arm. "Your dad would have loved to be here. He would have loved that beautiful boy of yours."

He pulled her into his embrace. "I love you, mom."

I moved back toward my family, giving Jack and Charlotte a moment to themselves. In the months since I had married Jack, I had learned that it was best to leave them alone to process with each other.

"Oh, Elizabeth, he is just perfect." My mom stroked his cheek.

"It told you that you guys would make beautiful babies." Julie smirked. "He definitely takes after Jack, though. I guess there's no question who his father is."

I grinned, wishing Jack was next to me to hear yet another person mention how much Teddy looked like him. "Definitely. He's one-hundred percent Thornton. He even has Jack's dimples."

"Okay, it's nana's turn to hold him." My mother carefully took him from Julie.

Teddy spent the next hour and a half being passed from one family member to the next, until he decided he was ready to be fed again.

I peeked under the blanket as Teddy ate. His little fingers grasped the edge of my shirt. His eyelids fluttered as he tried to stay awake. I smiled as I watched him filling his belly.

Jack spoke up. "Okay everyone, what kind of pizza sounds good? I know Elizabeth wants-"

"Pepperoni with extra cheese."

"No peppers or onions?"

I scrunched my nose and shook my head. "Your son is the one who likes those. Now that he's out of me, I'm back to my dislike of peppers and onions."

My mother and Charlotte both chuckled. "Ah, I remember the days of pregnancy cravings."

"I'm glad those days are over."

"Until you decide to have another one." Charlotte raised her eyebrows.

I laughed softly. "That won't be happening for a while."

Everyone glanced at me when there was a knock at the door.

I shrugged. "Don't look at me. I didn't invite anyone else."

There was silence for a moment after Jack opened the door. When he finally spoke, the conversation was slightly muffled, but still clear enough that we could hear what was being said.

"Tom?"

Julie immediately perked up when she heard the name, trying to peer into the entryway to catch a glimpse of Jack's brother.

"Hey, big brother."

"What on earth are you doing here?"

"Mom and I talked the other day, and she mentioned she was coming down to see the new baby, so I thought I'd come, too, and surprise you. I hope that's okay."

Their voices grew louder as they came into the room. "Well, you're just in time. I was about to order some pizza."

Charlotte got up to hug her youngest son. "Good to see you, son."

"Make yourself comfortable, Tom. We're all just hanging out in here." I resituated Teddy beneath the blanket. "Everyone else has had a chance to hold him already, so as soon as he's done eating, you can get a turn."

"Thanks." He hesitated for a moment before finally sitting down beside Julie.

I had never seen my sister look so shy in her life. She stared down at her hands, clearly trying to avoid looking up at Tom. He was sitting up straight, trying to maintain a bit of distance between them.

Jack was either oblivious to the awkwardness that settled in the room at the reunion of our siblings, or he was just trying to ignore it. "So, we've got one pepperoni pizza with extra cheese. Any other preferences?"

...

"Jules, can you come help me with something?"

"Sure."

She followed me as I carried Teddy up the stairs to his room.

"So, what did you need my help with?"

"Nothing." I laid Teddy on the changing table. "I just want to know what's going on with you and Tom. I've never seen you so quiet or uncomfortable before, especially not with Tom."

She crossed her arms and sighed. "Honestly, I have no idea what's going on with us. We talk on the phone pretty regularly, but I haven't seen him since your wedding. I don't know how he feels. I'd say we're friends, but I don't know if he wants us to be more. I don't know if _I_ want us to be more."

I smiled down at Teddy as I finished changing him. He looked up at me with wide eyes.

"Maybe this weekend will be a good time to talk to him."

"Not with mom and dad around. And you and Jack, no offense."

I laughed softly. "Well of course I don't expect you to talk to him about this stuff around all of us. Maybe you two could take a walk tomorrow after church or something."

"Maybe."

...

That evening, after spending the day getting to know the newest little member of the family, our families headed to a local hotel because we were tight on space in our house. I imagined they also didn't want to be awakened every few hours by a fussy baby, for which I couldn't blame them.

Jack came into the room after they all left. Teddy was dozing in my arms as I rocked slowly in the glider; he was nearly finished with his last evening feeding. Once he turned away from me, Jack and I traded places. It had become a routine for Jack to burp Teddy and put him to bed every night, and he loved having that time with our little boy..

Once the baby was asleep, Jack slipped into the bed beside me. "Is it bad that I'm kind of happy that our families aren't staying the night here?"

I laughed softly. "I hope not, because I'm happy about that, too. I'm really glad they're here visiting, but we all need a break sometimes, especially Teddy. We don't want him to get too overwhelmed."

"You're a really good mom, Beth." He pulled me into his arms and kissed the top of my head.

"Thank you." I tilted my face up to kiss him. "For the record, you're a really good dad, Jack Thornton." I snuggled closer to him. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

...

I slipped Teddy into his little white outfit, fixing the collar so it laid flat. "You look so handsome, Teddy Bear. Everyone at church is going to love you." I pulled his socks on and fastened his tiny shoes.

I was thankful that Charlotte was able to find an outfit for him to wear for his baptism. When Jack and I decided to have him baptized while our parents were visiting, we hadn't even thought about the fact that we had no dress clothes for him.

Jack poked his head in the door. "Are you about ready?"

I nodded as I lifted Teddy from the changing table.

Jack grinned as he looked at our son. "Look at you, little man, so fancy for church. My mom did a good job picking out that outfit."

"Mhmm. We better hope his diaper doesn't leak all over it."

Jack laughed. "That would be very unfortunate."

I handed the baby to him. "Can you put him in his car seat? I'll get the diaper bag."

Ten minutes later, we were in the car on our way to the church. I couldn't help but be a little nervous, given that it was Teddy's first outing that didn't involve being checked over by a doctor. I kept peering over my shoulder to make sure he was okay.

"You're going to hurt your neck if you keep that up."

"I told you I should've sat in the back with him."

He touched my knee. "Beth, he's fine. We'll be there soon."

Our families were already at the church, sitting in the pew behind Abigail, Cody, Becky, and Clara and Jesse—who had just gotten engaged a few days prior. Jack set the car seat on the pew beside him; Teddy was still fastened inside, fast asleep.

I turned around in my seat. "Thank you for the outfit for him, Charlotte. It's perfect."

"Oh, you're welcome, Lizzy." She leaned over the back of the pew to get a glimpse of her grandson.

Julie followed suit, craning her neck to look at her nephew. "He's such a handsome little man."

"That's because he takes after his daddy." I smiled as I touched Jack's cheek. He rolled his eyes playfully.

Teddy remained asleep for most of the service, only waking when I lifted him from his car seat to go to the front of the church.

As godmother, Abigail joined me and Jack up by the altar while the pastor baptized little Jack Edward Thornton. He looked thoroughly confused when a man he didn't know dripped cold water onto his head. I held my breath, hoping he wouldn't cry. Thankfully, he just squirmed a little.

Our parents, siblings, Becky, Cody, Clara, and Jesse all joined us as we prayed over him. I felt tears in my eyes as I glanced around at everyone who was there to support our son. Jack squeezed my hand.

After we all said "Amen," Jack reached up and wiped a tear from my cheek.

The pastor returned Teddy to my arms. I smoothed down his now-wet hair. Now that he was awake, he was becoming a bit restless, and I knew it wouldn't be long before he realized he was hungry.

Once the service was over, we took entirely too many pictures of Teddy with various combinations of family members. Jack glanced over at me as Tom snapped a few pictures of just us and Teddy.

"You know, I just realized that it's almost exactly nine months ago that we got married right in this spot."

"It's kind of crazy that now we're standing here with our son."

"Crazy and wonderful." He leaned in and kissed me softly. "I love you, Elizabeth Thornton. Thank you for giving me a son."

"You're welcome, and thank you, too." I laughed softly before I kissed him again. "I love you so much."


	34. Chapter 34

A/N Thanks for the sweet comments on the past couple of chapters! I love seeing the little things that stick out to you guys while you read this.

...

After church, we all sat around a big table at Abigail's. Jack walked back and forth to the kitchen with Abigail and Cody, bringing out platters of food and jugs of tea and lemonade and water.

Teddy was settled under a blanket in my arms, happily filling his belly. I brushed my fingers through his soft hair; it was already starting to lighten, making him look even more like Jack. He kicked his little legs while he ate.

Once all of the food had been brought out, Jack took a seat beside me, resting his arm across the back of my chair. He tugged gently on my hair. "How's the little man?"

"Very hungry, apparently." I peeked under the blanket. "Usually, he starts getting drowsy when he eats for this long, but he's still pretty alert."

Jack leaned over and moved the blanket slightly, looking down at Teddy. "Hey, bud. How's it going under there?"

Teddy turned away from me at the sound of his voice. I resituated him in my arms. "He's never going to finish if you distract him like that, babe."

He chuckled. "Sorry."

"Okay. Who's ready to eat?" Abigail stood at the head of the table.

Lee offered to lead the prayer before we all served ourselves.

Jack filled up a plate for me since my hands were busy holding Teddy. We had only skipped one Sunday lunch after Teddy's birth, but I found that I had missed it. We all had our own lives, and our Sunday lunch was the one consistent time that we were all together. It was even more special this week with Jack's and my families present.

Clara cleared her throat, and we all stopped our side conversations and turned our attention to her. "So, um, Jesse and I have officially set a date. We're getting married July 13th."

"July, as in, next month?"

She nodded. "We don't want a big wedding, and neither of us has family—you guys are our family. So, we're getting married in a month." She shrugged. "We just decided that we've been together long enough, there's really no need to wait."

Rosemary reached over and squeezed her hand. "Well, we're very happy for the two of you."

"While we're on the subject of weddings," I turned toward Faith, "are you and Carson getting any closer to that step?"

A flush rose in her cheeks, and she laughed nervously. "Um, maybe? We've talked about the future a little, but I don't think we're really in a hurry. I do love him, though, and I can definitely see us together for the long haul."

"Well, that's good."

We all continued our conversations, and before we knew it, two hours had passed. At some point, Tom and Julie had excused themselves to take a walk alone, and they were just returning as the rest of us were getting ready to leave.

They seemed much more comfortable together than they had the previous evening, and I was hopeful that they had been able to have a serious talk about their relationship.

Our families returned to our house with us, and we spent the remainder of the day together before they headed back to the hotel. They promised to drop by the next morning to say goodbye before they headed to their respective homes.

I was thankful that they had all been able to spend time with us, but I was also looking forward to spending the rest of the week alone with Jack and Teddy before Jack had to return to work.

...

"I don't know what you want from me, bud." I paced around the room with Teddy against my shoulder, bouncing him gently up and down.

His face was bright red as he cried, big tears rolling down his cheeks. His cry wasn't a familiar one. I had already tried feeding him, changing him, and rocking him. I tried laying on the bed with him on my chest. Nothing was helping.

"Come on, Teddy, please stop crying."

Eventually, I gave up. I laid him in the bouncy seat and collapsed onto the couch, covering my face with my hands. I felt like a horrible mother.

A few minutes later, Jack stepped through the door.

"Hey, Beth. How was your day?"

I stumbled across the room into his embrace and broke down.

"Whoa, Elizabeth. What's going on?"

I cried into his shoulder, shaking my head. "I can't."

He slowly moved us toward the living room, pulling me onto the sofa with him. "You can't what?" His hand moved lightly up and down on my back.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. "He won't stop crying. He won't eat. He won't sleep."

"Hey, you've never been alone with him for this long before. You just need a break. Why don't you go take a shower or lay down and take a nap or something? I'll take him for a while. Okay?"

"Jack, no. He needs—"

"Elizabeth, Teddy and I will be fine. Go take some time for yourself. I'm not taking no for an answer."

"But he hasn't—"

"Elizabeth. Go."

I sighed. "Okay." I meandered up the stairs while Jack lifted the screaming baby from his bouncy seat.

It had been a little over two weeks since Teddy was born, and Jack had just returned to work. I knew that he helped out a lot with the baby, but I never realized just how much I relied on him until he wasn't there.

I curled up on the bed, sobbing into my pillow. I felt so useless as I heard Teddy continue to wail.

He had been crying for over an hour by the time Jack had gotten home, and I had been unable to calm him. I tried every single thing I could think of to console him; nothing worked.

I knew about the importance of developing a healthy bond in the first year of life, and I couldn't help but feel like I was failing him in some way. How could he form a secure attachment to me if I couldn't even comfort him?

My mind was reeling, but eventually the exhaustion took over, and I drifted into an uneasy sleep.

...

The bed shifted under Jack's weight. I turned toward him, and he brushed his fingers through my hair.

"Hi."

"Hi. He just fell asleep. I put him in his crib for now. Are you feeling better?"

"No, not really. I don't even know what happened today. I don't know if I can do this."

He leaned against the headboard, pulling me to his chest. "Hey, don't talk like that. You absolutely can do this." He traced circles on my back. "It was your first day alone with him. It'll be an adjustment for all of us, but we'll figure it out, okay?"

I could feel tears stinging my eyes. "I just couldn't…" I choked back a sob. "Nothing I did was helping him. I can't even comfort my own baby. Maybe you should stay home with him instead. He obviously doesn't need me anyway. And why should he? I can't help him."

"Beth, hey. _Of course_ he needs you. You're his mom. He needs you more than anyone else."

I shook my head.

He reached for something on the nightstand. When he turned back, my phone was in his hand.

"Jack, please don't…"

He held up his hand to stop me, lifting the phone to his ear.

"Hi, it's Jack. I was wondering if you could talk to Elizabeth." He paused as the person on the other side of the call responded. "She's fine, just overwhelmed, I think. I went back to work today, so it was her first day completely alone with Teddy, and I guess he's been really fussy today." Another pause. "Yes. Thank you."

He held the phone out to me.

"Your mom."

I reluctantly took it from him, wiping my eyes with my free hand. "Hi, mom."

"Hi, sweetheart. So, Jack says you've had a bit of a hard time today?"

I sighed. "Yes."

Jack pushed the hair from my face, dropping a soft kiss on my forehead. "I'll be back," he whispered before he stepped out of the room.

"Teddy's been extra fussy?"

Silent tears continued to roll down my cheeks. "Yes, and nothing I did helped."

"Is this a new development, or has he been fussy the past couple of days?"

I thought for a moment. He had been crying more in the past couple of days, but I hadn't noticed since Jack had been around to help. We had just been enjoying our time as a family, and neither of us had paid attention to Teddy's increased crying.

"I guess he has been fussier lately. Jack and I usually take turns with him when he cries." I let out a breath. "That's probably why it hasn't been that overwhelming until now."

"He might have colic. You were a colicky baby."

"I was?"

"Yes, and it was absolutely miserable for a couple of weeks. We tried so many things to stop your crying, but nothing seemed to work. You even lost a little weight because you wouldn't calm down enough to eat."

I sucked in a breath. "What did you do?"

"We finally figured out that carrying you around outside seemed to calm you enough that you could eat, but mostly we just had to wait it out. I'd say just keep trying different things with Teddy and see if any of them will help him calm down. Take him to the pediatrician just to make sure there's nothing serious going on. If he has colic, there isn't going to be a whole lot you can do other than wait it out. It will get better eventually, I promise."

"Thank you, mom."

"And Elizabeth, ask for help, whether it's from Jack or someone else. Let someone hold him for a while so you can step away and breathe. You'll be better prepared to help him if you take care of yourself, too."

"I will. I promise."

"You're a good mom, Elizabeth. Don't forget that. Teddy is very lucky to have you."

"Thank you. I love you, mom."

I hung up and collapsed back onto the bed, letting out a breath. I still felt overwhelmed, but having a name for what was happening made it seem a little more manageable.

Jack quietly returned, this time with Teddy in his arms. "What do you say we try to get him to eat while he's calm?"

I nodded and made my way to the glider. Teddy looked up at me with wide eyes as Jack lowered him into my arms.

"Hey, Teddy Bear. Are you hungry? It's been a little while since you ate."

He continued to watch my face as he ate, pulling on my shirt with his little fingers. Just seeing his sweet face, now calm and content, was making my stress melt away.

"I'm sorry you weren't feeling very happy earlier. I wish you could tell me what was wrong, so I could help you." I smoothed down his hair.

Jack kissed the top of my head. "Did talking to your mom help?"

"Yes. Thank you for thinking of that." I touched the bottom of Teddy's foot, thankful that he was finally quiet and eating. "Babe, does he feel warm to you?" His little body felt like it was fire against my skin, and his little round cheeks were flushed.

Jack touched his cheek. "A little. I took him outside while you were napping, and it's pretty hot out there. He may have gotten a little overheated. We were probably out for too long."

I shifted him onto my lap, pulling the onesie off of him. "If he's just overheated, that should help." Once he was eating again, I turned my attention back to Jack. "We have Carson's number, right?"

"Yes, but I'm sure he's fine." He picked up the onesie from where I dropped it on the floor. "If he still feels warm in a couple of hours, we can call Carson."

"I'm going to call him tomorrow anyway. My mom thinks Teddy might have colic, but she said we should get him checked out by a doctor just in case it's something else."

He folded the onesie and placed it on the nightstand before taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "Colic? What do you do for that?"

"Not a whole lot. Try to find a way to calm him."

"I put him in that wrap thing earlier, and it seemed to help a little. He was still fussy, but he was just kind of whimpering instead of screaming."

"The wrap! I didn't even think of that." I glanced back down at the baby. He was still watching my face as he ate. "Did you like daddy carrying you around in the wrap earlier? Maybe mama will try that next time you're fussy. What do you think, bud?"

When I looked back up at Jack, he had a smile on his face.

"What?"

He shook his head. "You're amazing, Elizabeth. I know you've had a hard day, but I wouldn't be able to tell by the way you're interacting with him right now."

I shrugged. "He needs me to be calm. So no matter what's going on with me, I'm going to try to be calm with him."

"Okay, now I know for sure that he is the luckiest little guy in the entire world to have you as a mom."

I felt a blush creep into my cheeks. "Jack…"

"And I'm sure you're worrying about how this whole thing is going to affect him when he's older, but he'll be just fine."

"Can you read my mind or something?"

He smirked. "Nope. I just know you very, very well."

I smiled. "Yes, you do."

He returned to my side, his breath warm on my face as he leaned down to kiss me deeply. " _Very_ well." His fingers lightly pressed against my hips.

My eyes widened, my face heating up. "Jack!"

"Sorry, I just love that I can still make you blush like that." He brushed his thumb across my cheek, his smile bringing out his dimples.

Teddy had turned away from me, his eyelids drooping.

"Babe, can you burp him while I take a quick shower?"

"Of course."

We traded places, and he cradled Teddy against his shoulder.

Ten minutes later, I stepped out of the bathroom, feeling refreshed. Jack was stretched out on the bed, resting his arm behind his head.

"Come here." He motioned for me to join him.

I climbed into the bed beside him. "Did you have another incident while changing his diaper?" I tucked my head against his shoulder, running my fingers down his bare chest.

He laughed softly. "Not this time. He started fussing again, so I just wanted to see if skin-to-skin contact would work. It did. He felt like he was cooling down, too."

"So the wrap and skin-to-skin contact help. I can't believe I didn't think to try either of those."

He brushed his fingers through my damp hair. "Well, they helped today. Who knows if they'll help tomorrow."

"I know you say he's lucky to have me as a mom, but he's really lucky to have you as a dad, too."

He kissed the top of my head. "And we're lucky to have him. Hey," he lifted my chin until I met his eyes, "I want to apologize if I came off as bossy earlier. I don't want you ever to feel like I'm trying to control you."

I shook my head. "That's not how I took it. I needed that break, and you just needed to help me see that." I kissed him softly. "Besides, I'm too stubborn to be controlled by someone else." I smirked.

He kissed me back, and I felt his lips curl into a smile against mine. "That's one of the many reasons I love you, beautiful, stubborn Elizabeth Ann."

I laughed softly at his use of my middle name and snuggled into him. "I love you, too, Jack Alexander."


	35. Chapter 35

I followed Carson down the hall to the exam room. I took a seat in the chair, situating Teddy in my lap.

"So, what's going on with little Teddy Thornton?"

"Well, he's been crying more the past couple of days, and he's been more difficult to console. I'm not sure if he's sick or what. He was a little warm yesterday evening, but Jack was thinking he was just a bit overheated since they went for a walk outside. He had cooled down by the time we put him down for the night."

"Okay, strip him down to his diaper and put him up on the table. I'll look him over."

I removed his romper and lowered him onto the paper-covered table. He squirmed as Carson checked his vitals.

"He's two weeks old now?"

I nodded. "Two and a half, yeah."

"Any other symptoms besides the crying and inconsolability?"

"I don't think so, but I'm still not quite sure what's normal and what's not. I told my mom what was going on, and she's the one who suggested I bring him here."

"Has he been eating?"

"Yes. He won't eat when he's crying, but I think he's still eating as much as he normally does."

Thirty minutes and many questions later, Teddy and I left the doctor's office. Carson had said he looked physically fine; it could be colic, but the inconsolable crying hadn't been happening long enough for him to say it with certainty. He told me to continue what I had been doing and to bring him back in if things got worse.

I was relieved to hear that my son was healthy, though part of me wished that there would be something specific that I could do for him.

...

Jack called out from the porch. "Hi."

Both dogs ran over to him, tails wagging.

I glanced up and smiled. "Hi." I made my way over to him. "How was work?"

"Good. Long. I missed you and the little man." He kissed me softly. "How did today go for you two?"

"Better than yesterday. You were right about the wrap, clearly. He's been in this most of the day, and he hasn't been nearly as fussy." I nodded toward Teddy, who was wrapped up against my chest. He slept soundly. "I took him to see Carson this morning. He's healthy. Carson said to bring him in again if things get worse, and just to continue what we've been doing for now. It might be colic, it might be nothing."

"Well, I guess that's good news." He put his hand on Teddy's back. "Are you ready for a break?"

"I'm fine right now. You've been working all day. You should take some time to relax."

"Elizabeth, you've been working all day, too. I know we're still trying to figure out how everything is going to work with you being home all day with him and me at work, but I can help with him when I get home." He rested his hand on my hip, his thumb brushing lightly back and forth. "We're in this together."

I sighed. "Okay."

We went back inside the house. I passed Teddy over to Jack. He blinked sleepily once he was in his father's arms.

"Hey, little man. How's it going? Mama said you had a much better day today. That makes me happy."

My heart melted at the sight of Jack snuggling our son against his chest. It always struck me just how tiny Teddy looked in Jack's arms. He was still a big baby—he had been weighed that morning at the doctor and was nearing ten pounds—but he looked like a fragile little china doll next to Jack.

"I guess I'll go lay down for a bit. Come get me when he needs to eat."

"Will do." He kissed me, settling onto the sofa while I headed up the stairs.

...

The rest of the week was much of the same. Teddy's inconsolable crying had decreased in frequency, making my days with him much more enjoyable.

Once Jack returned from work each afternoon, he spent time with Teddy while I took a quick nap or started on dinner.

Over the weekend, we met up with Rosemary, Lee, and Alina for a picnic at the park. Though Rosemary and I met up a couple of times a week since Teddy had been born, it had been a while since all of us spent time together outside of our Sunday lunches.

Alina was getting so big. She was almost nine months old, and she was crawling everywhere. It was amazing that Teddy would grow and develop to that level in just months; it seemed so far off.

By Monday, I was feeling more confident in our new routine. We had made it through the first week after Jack's return to work.

Thursday afternoon, I received a text from Jack letting me know that something had come up at work and he wouldn't be home until late in the evening.

I put my phone back on the side table and lifted Teddy from the bouncy seat in the living room.

"Well, Teddy Bear, it looks like it's just us tonight. Your daddy has to work late."

He looked up at me as I spoke, eyes wide.

"What should we do, bud? Should we cuddle up and watch a movie? I think we should watch a movie."

I settled on the sofa, pulling a blanket over my legs. I laid Teddy in my lap, holding his tiny hands.

"We've read you some of mama's favorite book, so how about we introduce you to mama's favorite movie? Daddy and I watched this movie for our second date, way before you were even on our radar."

I pressed play and smiled as the familiar music started playing. Teddy turned his head at the noise, trying to determine where the music was coming from.

"Do you like that, bud?"

By the end of the movie, I could tell that Teddy was ready for one last feeding and bedtime.

"I hope you liked that, Teddy Bear. We watch it a lot in this house. And I mean _a lot_." I laughed softly. "I actually fell in love with your daddy while we watched it."

His fingers grasped the edge of my shirt as he ate.

"Goodness, I love your daddy so much, little man. I fall in love with him all over again every single day. Especially when I see him with you. I couldn't ask for a better daddy for you. He loves you and me more than anything. Plus, he gave me you. You are the best thing to happen to either of us, Teddy Thornton."

He was nearly asleep, his little eyes just barely open. I quietly carried him up to the bedroom. I watched him for a few moments after I lowered him into the bassinet, making sure he stayed asleep.

With Teddy down for the night—or at least until he woke up to eat again—I returned to the living room and flipped through the channels on TV, finally stopping on the local news channel. I started cleaning up around the living room, not really paying attention to what was on the television. Until.

Until I heard the newscaster mention "the local sheriff's department."

There had been a drug bust gone wrong. Shots had been fired, and a few people had been injured. My stomach dropped, knowing that it was possible that Jack was one of those people.

I couldn't move. I felt like I was frozen to the spot, watching the images from the scene pop up on the television. I kept hoping I would see Jack in the background, unharmed. But there was nothing.

The newscaster quickly moved on to a new story, and I ran to find my phone, desperate to hear from Jack.

My call went unanswered.

When Teddy woke for his first feeding of the night, I still hadn't heard from Jack. My anxiety was growing stronger with each passing minute. After I put Teddy back to bed, I tried calling again, not even caring about the late hour.

Still nothing.

I sent him a text, letting him know that I was worried about him. There was no response.

Eventually, I fell asleep on the sofa.

I was roused several hours later when the front door opened. Rip let out a low bark, and I heard a voice shush him.

I slowly stood up. "Jack?"

"Beth, what are you doing down here? You should be in bed."

I immediately went to him, and he pulled me into his arms. I felt my body relax for the first time all evening, and the tears finally came.

It suddenly seemed to click for him. "It was on the news," he stated matter-of-factly.

I nodded into his chest. "I tried calling and texting you. I was so worried, Jack."

"I'm sorry I didn't answer. They wanted us all to get checked over afterwards, and I didn't have my phone on me. By the time we got done, I was so focused on getting home that I didn't bother to check it. That was my fault. I'll try not to let it happen again."

"Checked over? Did you get hurt?"

He rubbed my back. "Some bruised ribs, a couple of cuts. Nothing serious, I promise." He kissed the top of my head.

"Bruised ribs?" I stepped back slightly, just barely touching my hands to his abdomen, wondering what had happened to him.

"Not the first time I've had bruised ribs. Probably not the last time, either. I'll be fine." He kissed me softly. "Now, let's go upstairs. I need to take a quick shower before I get in bed, and I'm sure you need some rest."

"I'm glad you're home."

He leaned in and kissed me again, a little longer this time. "I'm glad I get to come home to you."

He kept his arm around my waist as we walked up the stairs. I said a silent prayer, thanking God for bringing him back safely.

I slipped into bed while he made his way to the bathroom. He poked his head through the door, just as I was reaching over to turn off the lamp.

"You don't need to wait up for me, but I'll be out soon."

"Okay. Jack?"

"Hmm?"

I felt a smile playing on my lips. "I love you."

He smiled back. "I love you, too."

I drifted off to the sound of the water running.

...

I blinked in the early morning light a few times before I realized I wasn't alone in the bed. Jack's skin was warm and smooth under my hands.

"Mm, Jack?" I touched his cheek.

He shifted beneath me, groaning slightly.

"Oh, sorry. Did I hurt you?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm just a little stiff. What did you want to ask me?" He wrapped his arms around my shoulders, holding me against his chest.

"I was just wondering why you weren't at work yet. Not that I'm complaining, because I love waking up like this."

"I have the day off since I worked late yesterday." He kissed the top of my head. "So we can stay right here all day."

I laughed softly. "Well, not _all_ day, because our son inherited your appetite, and he's going to want to be fed."

"Then we can stay right here until he wakes up."

"That won't be very long." I glanced at the clock. "I give him five, maybe ten minutes."

I pressed my cheek against his chest. He absentmindedly ran his fingers through my hair. I couldn't remember the last time I had felt so content. We had far less time to spend with each other since Teddy was born and Jack returned to work, and I was determined to savor every second.

He began to hum in my ear. He slipped his hand under my shirt, his fingers brushing up and down my back. I closed my eyes and smiled.

Five minutes later, like clockwork, Teddy began to stir in the bassinet. I sighed and pulled myself out of Jack's embrace.

"Bring him back over here to feed him."

I lifted Teddy from the bassinet. "You really _do_ want to stay in that bed all day."

He grinned and shrugged, pulling himself up to lean against the headboard. "I just like having you close."

"Good morning, Teddy Bear. Look who's home." I settled back on my side of the bed, turning Teddy so he was facing Jack.

"Hi, bud." Jack reached out and touched his cheek. "What do you say you and I have some father-son bonding time after mama feeds you?"

"What am I supposed to do during this father-son bonding time?" I shifted Teddy again so he could eat.

"Relax. Take a bath. Go for a walk. Whatever you want. You didn't have any help with him yesterday; you deserve a break." He twirled my hair with his fingers.

"But you had a long day yesterday, too."

"Elizabeth, I know you're trying to think about my well-being, and I love you for that, but let me help. I _want_ to spend time with him." He kissed my temple.

"Okay."

We were both quiet for a few minutes while we watched Teddy. His chubby little fingers were splayed out on my chest, his eyes locked on my face. I smiled at him, brushing my finger against his cheek.

When I glanced over at Jack, I noticed the dark purple bruises that had blossomed under his skin. They looked incredibly painful.

"Jack…What exactly happened to you last night?"

He sighed. It was obvious that he was hoping I wouldn't ask. "I got hit a couple of times, but I had my vest on, so it's just some deep bruises."

"It looks bad." I imagined he had to be in some pain. From the looks of it, he had been hit twice. There were small, round bruises where the bullets had hit, with lighter bruising rippling out from the center, like two little bullseyes on his abdomen. I dropped my eyes.

"It could have been worse. I only got hit where I was protected. Some other people weren't so lucky." He cleared his throat. "Elizabeth?"

"Hmm?" I didn't turn my eyes from Teddy.

"You know, I've been thinking, last night was a lot like the time…"

He didn't finish his sentence, but I knew what he was referring to. _The time we broke up and you ran away_.

I lifted my eyes slowly. "I'm not going to run, Jack. Yes, I was terrified last night when I thought that something horrible might have happened to you, but I can handle it. I wouldn't have married you if I couldn't handle it."

He let out a breath. "I know you aren't going to run. I trust you completely. Last night just brought all of those memories back."

I felt tears in my eyes. I looked back at my son, unable to meet Jack's gaze. "I hate so much that I hurt you. I wish you didn't have those memories." Teddy pulled away, and I lifted him to my shoulder.

Jack gently turned my face toward him. "Yes, you hurt me, and I'm pretty sure you hurt yourself, too. And yes, those memories are probably going to surface every once in a while." He wiped away the tears that had begun to slide down my face. "But you know what? I also have the memory of you coming back to me, the memory of you saying 'yes' when I asked you to marry me, the memory of you walking down the aisle toward me, the memory of you giving birth to our boy."

The tears started up again, this time for a completely different reason.

I wiped my cheeks. "You really are the perfect man, Jack Thornton."

"Hardly." He leaned in and kissed me.

"Well, you're perfect for me."


	36. Chapter 36

I stood quietly in the doorway after I finished my shower, watching Jack. He was leaning back on the headboard, cradling Teddy against his chest. I caught him in the middle of a one-sided conversation with our son.

"Someday, I'd like to take you up there. I can show you where my dad taught me to fish, and where he used to take me and your uncle Tom to ride horses. And someday, I'll teach you how to fish. I'll teach you how to ride a horse, too. Sergeant will be a great horse for you to learn on." He gently rubbed Teddy's back. "You know, I took your mom riding on Sergeant once. I need to take her again sometime now that you aren't in her belly. I like riding with your mom. It gives me an excuse to hold her close. If there's one thing you need to know about me, it's that I like having your mom _real_ close. I'm sure you've already figured this out, but she gives the best cuddles."

"I give the best cuddles?"

He looked up at me. "How long have you been standing there?"

I shrugged. "Just long enough to hear you tell him you're going to teach him to fish and ride."

"So you also heard me tell him that I like to have you close."

I nodded. "I did hear that."

"Well, what are you waiting for?" He patted the spot beside him.

I slipped into my clothes and sank down beside him. "Did you two have some good father-son bonding time?"

"Mhmm." He stroked Teddy's cheek with his finger. "Didn't we, bud? I told him all about my life growing up in Vancouver, and the first time I saw you, and how you won me over with your baking skills."

I leaned my head against his shoulder. "You know, it's been a while since I made a gooey butter cake."

"Oh, Teddy, just wait until you have teeth and can eat real food. Your mom's gooey butter cake is half the reason I fell in love with her."

I laughed softly. "It's not _that_ good."

"Oh, but it is." He kissed my temple.

"Maybe I'll make one today."

"How are you going to bake from this bed?"

I rolled my eyes playfully. "You are incorrigible, Jack Thornton."

He laughed, then grimaced as he realized his ribs were still sore.

"Jack, are you sure you're okay? You got shot, twice. That has to hurt."

"I'm fine. I'm sure it's not nearly as painful as when you pushed a nine-and-a-half-pound human out of your body. I still don't know how you did that."

I touched Teddy's cheek. "I hope I never have to do that again, but it was worth it. And now I'm going to get you some ibuprofen."

By the time I returned from the kitchen, Teddy had fallen asleep against Jack's shoulder. I placed the glass of water and bottle of pills on the nightstand before lifting Teddy off of Jack's chest and bringing him back to the bassinet.

Jack was watching me, a grin on his face. "Come back here."

"Take the medicine first." I crossed my arms.

He reached for the bottle of pills. "The scary teacher face. I guess I should behave." He chuckled.

"Oh, believe me, if I brought out the _real_ scary teacher face, you wouldn't be laughing."

"Well now I'm curious."

I climbed back into the bed. "I won't subject you to the real scary teacher face unless you truly deserve it."

"Come here." He opened his arms, inviting me in.

I looked at the purple bruises stretching across his abdomen. There was no way he would be comfortable with me leaning on his chest. "Jack, I don't want to hurt you."

He shook his head. "You won't. I just want you close. Please."

I couldn't say no when he looked at me like that, his eyes sparkling and the corners of his lips just barely turning up into a smile. He wrapped his arms around me as he pulled me closer, tucking my head beneath his chin.

"Much better." He kissed my hair. "I could stay like this forever."

"So could I."

His fingers moved slowly up and down my back. "When I got hit last night, all I could think was that I needed to get home to you and Teddy so I could hold you both again. I couldn't leave you. Sometimes, I can't believe just how much I love you two. You and our boy are my entire world."

"I love you."

...

Jack held both of the dogs' leashes as we strolled down the sidewalk. Teddy was wrapped up against my chest, sleeping peacefully.

It was an absolutely beautiful day. Everything was so bright and green in the sunlight. A cool breeze blew through the trees, keeping it from being one of those miserable, sticky days that were typical of late June in Oklahoma.

"I never asked you what you and Teddy did yesterday evening when I was stuck at work."

I smiled. "We snuggled up on the sofa and watched _Sound of Music_."

"Of course you did." He shook his head and grinned.

"I want to make sure our son is well-rounded and cultured. Plus, we watch that movie all the time, so I figured we should get him used to it as soon as possible."

He chuckled. "Probably a good idea."

"I know. I'm full of good ideas." I smirked. "Like the idea I have to make gooey butter cake when we get home."

"Ooh, that's a great idea."

I moved closer to him, leaning my mouth toward his ear. "And I was thinking that maybe we could enjoy it in a nice warm bubble bath."

He grinned and kissed my cheek. "That's an even better idea."

"I thought so."

We were quiet as we continued down the street. Bronte trotted along ahead of us, while Rip lagged behind.

I peeked down at Teddy when he began to squirm against my chest. He blinked sleepily as he woke up.

"Hey, Teddy Bear. Did you have a nice nap?" I stroked his cheek softly. "I'm glad you're awake now to enjoy our walk."

He looked up at me, his incredibly long eyelashes almost glowing in the sunlight, his eyes a mixture of blue and gold.

"Goodness, he looks so much like you, Jack."

"If I agree with you, will you stop saying that all the time?" He nudged me with his elbow.

I laughed softly. "Nope. I love that he looks just like you, and I want everyone to know that."

"Well, maybe the next one will look like you, and then _I_ can point it out to everyone."

My eyes went wide. "Maybe we should wait until Teddy's more than three weeks old before we start discussing the possibility of having another one."

"Whenever you're ready."

...

The water shifted around me as Jack lowered our empty plates to the floor beside the tub.

"I think that was the best gooey butter cake I've ever had."

"You say that every time I make it."

He grinned. "And it's true every time I say it."

"You know, I'm not happy that you got hurt, but I'm very happy that we've gotten to spend the whole day together."

"It has been a great day." He reached for my hands, threading his fingers between mine and pulling me closer. "And we have all day tomorrow to spend together, too." He kissed my nose.

I turned around and leaned back, resting my head on his shoulder. "Perfect."

He brushed his lips against my temple, wrapping his arms around me. "Mm, you feel so good."

Goosebumps rose on my arms and I felt a flutter in my stomach. "So do you."

His chest was warm against my back, his strong legs resting along either side of me.

"You know, what I said earlier, I wasn't trying to hint that I want us to have another baby right away."

"I know."

"But I meant what I said. We'll wait until you're ready. And if you don't want any more, that's fine, too."

I rested my hand on his thigh beneath the water. "I do want more, Jack. Someday."

"I love you, Elizabeth Thornton." He pressed his lips to my neck, and I shivered.

"Not as much as I love you, Jack Thornton."

...

There was a quiet knock at the door. I set down the blanket that I had been folding and made my way to the door.

"Hi, Elizabeth."

"Hi, Clara. What brings you by?" I opened the door wider so she could enter.

"Um, I need some advice." She walked straight into the living room, sinking down onto the sofa. "I know I could've talked to you at lunch today, but I didn't want to say anything with everyone else around."

I lifted Teddy from the bouncy seat, settling him against my chest as I took a seat in the armchair. "What's going on? Are you and Jesse okay?"

"Oh, we're doing great, and everything with the wedding is fine. It's just, uh…" She twisted the ring on her left hand and released a harsh breath. "I don't know how to tell Abigail."

I rubbed gentle circles on Teddy's back. "Tell her what?"

She sighed, covering her face with her hands. "We didn't mean for it to happen. We really didn't. It was just the one time. But one thing led to another and… I'm pregnant."

"You're worried that Abigail will be upset because it happened before you got married?"

She nodded. "She's been like a mother to me since before Peter and I got married, back when my parents died. I just hate to disappoint her."

"Abigail loves you. I can't imagine her being upset with you, even if she doesn't agree with everything you do. You and Jesse are both adults, and it's not like he's some guy you just met. You've been together for a long time, you're _engaged_. And goodness, you've been married before."

"You really think she'll be okay with it?"

"I wouldn't be worried. I would just tell her. Honestly, I think she'll be excited. You're giving her a grandchild. I mean, seriously, how could anyone be upset about something this cute?" I shifted Teddy in my arms so he was facing her.

She gave a small smile. "You're right."

"What does Jesse think?"

"He was a little freaked out when I told him, but he's excited now. He thinks it's a girl, and he's already coming up with names." She drew her hand to her stomach. "I'm only a month along right now. I'll be about six weeks at the wedding."

"I'm happy for you, Clara. Abigail will be happy for you, too. I just know it."

"Thank you so much, Elizabeth." She stood up slowly. "I guess I should go home and tell Abigail before I lose my nerve."

"Everything will be okay." I walked with her to the door. "And if you need anything or have any questions, feel free to come to me."

"I will. I'll see you later."

...

"Hi." I looked up when Jack walked in.

He set his wallet and keys on the table in the entryway. "Hi." He joined me in the kitchen and kissed my cheek. "Bath time for the little man?"

I nodded as I carefully dragged the cloth across Teddy's body. "He spit up all over, _and_ his diaper leaked, so I figured it was probably time for a thorough cleaning."

"Goodness. Is it bad that I'm happy I wasn't here for that?"

I smirked. "Oh, just wait. Once we get him started on the bottle, I can leave you alone with him. Then _you_ get to deal with anything that comes out of him."

"I can't wait." He poured himself a glass of water. "Need any help?"

"I remembered to bring a towel down, but I forgot a clean diaper and a onesie."

"On it." He set down the glass and hurried up the stairs, returning a few moments later.

I lifted Teddy from the bath and wrapped him in the towel. Jack set out the diaper and clothes, and I quickly dressed our son.

I met Jack's eyes and smiled as I shifted Teddy to my shoulder. "We make a great team, don't we?"

"Team Thornton."

I stood on my toes and kissed him. "Team Thornton."

...

A/N I'm currently in my final semester of graduate school, and my schedule has gotten very full recently. Naturally, school has to take priority, so I don't think that I will be able to keep up with weekly updates of my stories right now. However, I will continue to update them as much as I can. I promise that I still have lots of plans for both stories, so there's still a lot to look forward to :)


	37. Chapter 37

A/N Thank you all for your patience. Even though I don't have as much time to write, I'm trying to get a few sentences written here and there so I can keep getting new chapters out to you. I still have lots of plans for this sweet little family, so I hope you stick with me!

...

I peeked into the bedroom. Jack was sitting in the glider with Teddy resting against his shoulder.

"How did he do?"

Jack reached over and held up the bottle for me to see. "He took about half of it, and he only fussed a little bit right at the very beginning."

"Not too bad for his first time with the bottle." I sat on the edge of the bed. "It was strange knowing someone else was feeding him. It's going to take some time for me to get used to that."

"If it's any consolation, I think he wished you were feeding him. Your face is much nicer to look at than mine is."

I laughed softly. "We'll give him a few minutes, and if he seems like he's still hungry, I'll feed him some more. We can try the bottle again tomorrow, then maybe up him to two feedings from the bottle the next day. Ease him into it since we still have a month before I go back to work."

"Sounds like a plan. And just think of how much more you'll be able to get done if someone else can take over some of the feedings." He passed Teddy up to me.

I snuggled the baby against my chest. "Maybe I can finally find the end of the never-ending laundry." I laughed. "But even better, we can go out just the two of us again."

He stood up and kissed me. "I'll have to start planning some date nights, then."

I grinned. "I can't wait."

...

"Babe, can you burp him and change his diaper when he's finished? I'm afraid I won't have enough time to get ready."

"Sure." He stripped down to his boxers and undershirt before pulling a suit from the closet. "Do you need me to get your dress out for you?"

I shook my head, blushing when I noticed the outline of his muscles beneath his tight shirt. "No. I already got it out. Thank you, though." I glanced down at Teddy and noticed that he had fallen asleep while he ate. I touched his cheek, and he woke briefly before closing his eyes once more. I laughed quietly. "Well, I guess he's done."

Jack lifted him from my arms. "My mom should be here in about half an hour. I'll let her know where the milk and bottles are. You just take your time."

"Okay. Thank you." I kissed him softly before I headed into the bathroom to take a quick shower.

I looked in the mirror after I slipped into my dress. I hadn't worn the navy blue dress since my weekend away with Jack back when we were dating, and I was a little worried that it wouldn't fit anymore. It was a little tighter than I remembered, but I was pleasantly surprised that it zipped up fairly easily.

I put on a touch of makeup, pinned back my hair, and slid into a pair of low heels. It felt nice to dress up for the first time since Teddy was born. It seemed like I had been living in nothing but shorts and Jack's old t-shirts.

I couldn't help but wonder what Jack would think when he saw me. I could hear him downstairs, laughing with his mom.

"Beth, are you almost ready?" His voice floated up to me.

"I'm coming."

He grew silent when I came down the stairs, his eyes growing wide.

"What? Is something wrong with my dress?" I smoothed the skirt, trying to see if there was a rip or stain I didn't notice.

"No, nothing is wrong." He moved in front of me, running his hands slowly up and down my arms. "You look absolutely beautiful. In fact," he leaned in, his breath warm on my face and his voice low, "maybe we should just stay home… go back upstairs…"

I shivered and felt my cheeks redden. "Jack Thornton!"

He chuckled. "You have to admit it's a good idea, though."

"Well…maybe." I felt the corners of my lips turn up and butterflies rise in my stomach. "But now is not the time. We're already running late, and I think they would notice if we weren't there. Besides, your mom is here."

"Good point. Let's get going."

"Let me say bye to Teddy first."

I found our son cuddled up in his grandma's arms.

"Thank you for watching him for us, Charlotte."

"Anytime, Lizzy. You look lovely, by the way."

"Thank you." I reached out and stroked Teddy's cheek. He turned to look at me, one corner of his mouth raising up slightly in a half-smile. "Hey, Teddy Bear. Daddy and I will be back later. You be good for grandma Charlotte." I glanced back at Charlotte. "We should be home by nine."

"Go, have fun."

Jack practically had to pull me away from our son and to the car.

"It feels strange to be going somewhere without him." I glanced toward the backseat, expecting to see a car seat there, but finding it empty instead. It felt like I was missing a part of me.

"He'll be fine with my mom, and it'll just be a few hours."

"I know. It's just weird. He's practically been attached to me for the past month and a half. I don't know how I'll handle being away from him all day when I go back to work."

He reached across the center console and squeezed my hand. "You can do it."

...

We reached the church with just minutes to spare. Jesse and Clara were married in a brief and lovely ceremony, surrounded by their closest friends. After they shared their first dance, Jack led me onto the dance floor.

I leaned my head against his chest, resting my hands against the back of his shoulders. He spread his fingers across the small of my back. Together, we swayed slowly back and forth.

"It's been far too long since I danced with you, Mrs. Thornton." His breath tickled my ear.

"I agree. We need to do this more often."

He nodded. "Also," he kissed my temple, "I just want you to know that you are, by far, the most beautiful woman here tonight."

My cheeks warmed. "You're just saying that because I'm your wife."

"I'm saying it because it's the truth."

"Sweet man." I stood on my toes to kiss him. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"For the record, you're the most handsome man here." I ran my thumb across the back of his neck, just barely brushing across his hair. "I need to take you more places where you have to wear a suit." I moved my hands across his chest, tugging gently on his lapels. "Is your mom staying the night at our place?"

"No. I offered, but she said she needs to get home because she has something going on at her church tomorrow."

"Good. I mean, not that I don't enjoy having her around, but…"

He chuckled. "I know what you mean."

My skin was tingling beneath his fingers. The longer we stayed on the dance floor, the more I wanted to get home so we could be alone. "Do you think it would be acceptable for us to bow out now?"

He glanced around the room. "Yeah, it looks like it's winding down, anyway. Plus, we have Teddy as our excuse for needing to get home."

He gathered our things while I went to congratulate the Flynns and say goodbye.

"Thank you for coming, Elizabeth. And thank you for your encouragement." She rested her hand on her stomach when she was sure that no one else was looking. "You were right. She wasn't upset at all. She's so excited."

"I knew everything would be okay." I hugged her. "Congratulations, again. On the wedding _and_ the little one."

We were home by a quarter to nine. Teddy woke when Charlotte passed him to me, and he immediately started crying.

I thanked her one more time before excusing myself to feed him and put him back to bed.

By the time Jack made his way to our room, Teddy was content and sleeping, his belly now full. I was leaning back on the bed, having changed out of my dress.

Jack grinned at me and loosened his tie, quickly shedding his jacket. "It's just the two of us now." He crawled on top of the quilt beside me.

"Perfect." I linked my hands behind his neck and pulled him toward me, a smile playing on my own face.

...

Jack's fingers danced across my bare skin under my shirt. "Beth, we need to talk about something."

I rolled over to meet his face. "That sounds serious."

"It is." He sighed. "I know there's never a good time to bring this up, so I'm sorry about that."

"Babe, just tell me."

"You know my job can be dangerous."

I nodded, but said nothing. I was growing concerned about where this conversation was headed. He didn't bring up the dangers of his job unless something happened.

"If anything ever happens to me, there are letters for you and Teddy in the drawer in the entryway table."

"But Jack—"

He held up his hand to stop me. "I know what you're going to say. You can't say that nothing is going to happen to me, because we don't know that. I _got shot_ a few weeks ago. That's actually when I decided to write them. I pray every single day that you'll never have to read those, but they're there. I just want you to know that."

"I don't want to talk about this." I touched my fingers to his chest, trying not to think about the possibility that he could be taken from me someday. I lightly ran my hands across the fading bruises, physical reminders of the dangers he faced in his job.

"We have to be able to talk about this kind of stuff, Beth. It's my life, it's _our_ life."

"Not right now. It's not the time." I pushed away from him, rolling onto my side. I really was not in the mood to talk about this.

"There's never a good time." He touched my shoulder. "We really should've had this conversation a long time ago, probably before we got married. You need to know what to do if something ever happens to me."

I slipped out of the bed, pulling on my robe and walking out of the room without another word, ignoring his voice calling out to me.

I knew that I was being a little ridiculous. Jack was right that we needed to have that conversation, but I just couldn't deal with it in that moment. Obviously, I knew that Jack's job could be dangerous. I knew something bad could happen to him. But I had to keep those thoughts out of my mind, or I would drive myself crazy with fear.

I sank down on the floor of Teddy's room. I had pushed the thoughts further away since Teddy had been born. I loathed the idea that my son could someday lose his father.

I had seen the effects that the loss of Jack's father had had on him and Charlotte. Though I didn't know them before the loss, it was obvious that it had completely altered their lives. They were not the same people they were when Thomas Thornton was alive. I hated the thought that Teddy and I could be put through that.

"Elizabeth, please come back to bed." Jack stood in the doorway, illuminated by the moonlight seeping through the curtains. "We don't have to talk about it anymore tonight, but we do need to talk about it soon."

"Why are you so adamant that we have this discussion?"

He sighed and took a seat beside me. "I have to go out of town again."

I felt like I had been punched in the gut. "When?"

"Monday. For two weeks."

"Jack, that's in two days."

He put his hand on my leg. "I know. I wasn't supposed to go this time. It was supposed to be Harris, but he came down with the flu. They told me this morning. I don't have a choice."

"I'm guessing it's dangerous?" My stomach tightened as I waited for his answer. It felt like an eternity before he responded.

He shrugged. "Pretty much every time I go out of town, there's a potential for danger. But like I say to you every time I go: I will do everything in my power to come back to you."

"I don't want you to go."

"I know." He slipped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer. "But, the more I do assignments like this, the better chance I have of being promoted to a position with far fewer out-of-town assignments."

"Really?" I turned to meet his gaze for the first time since I had walked out of our bedroom.

He nodded. "Mhmm. One of my superiors is looking to move up even further in the next couple of months, and they've already said I'm a good candidate to replace him."

"Less danger?" I entwined my fingers in his.

He squeezed my hand. "Well, I would still go out on patrols and help out with arrests, but yes, there's probably less danger involved overall."

"I still don't want you to go, but knowing that it can help in the long run makes it a little better."

"I know what can make it even better." He kissed the top of my head, then tilted my chin up until he could brush his lips against mine.

"What?"

"Making the most of every minute we have before I have to leave." He kissed me again before standing up and holding his hand out to me. "So what do you say? Will you come back to bed now?"

Wordlessly, I slid my hand into his. He helped me up, and I followed him back to our room.

...

A/N I know I've said this before, but here's another reminder that Jack will always be okay in my stories :)


	38. Chapter 38

"Jack?" I pushed myself off of his chest, propping myself up on my elbow.

He rolled onto his side, reaching over to push the hair from my face. "Hm?"

"I was just thinking. We've known each other for almost a year and a half, we've been married for over half of that, and I still don't really know all that much about your job. I mean, I know you're a sheriff, so I've really just been imagining an _Andy Griffith_ scenario."

He laughed softly. "Well, I hate to break it to you, but it's not really like that. I'm really a police officer. They just haven't changed the title, maybe for the nostalgia." His fingers danced up and down my arm.

"Are there deputies in your department?"

"Mhmm, but it's the same situation with the title. They're just lower-ranked police officers."

"And why do you have to go out of town so much?"

"Sometimes, it's for trainings. Sometimes, other small towns need backup for bigger cases, and we usually have enough people here that we can afford to send a few to help out. Or sometimes, there's a case that covers multiple towns or counties, so we have to go meet up with other police departments and courts and stuff."

I touched his cheek. "What is it this time?"

"Big case."

"How can they put a timeline on something like that?"

"They can't, really. They just estimate. If it takes longer than they expect, they'll either make me stay a few more days, or they might send someone else to relieve me if it's looking like it'll be a while still."

"And if it doesn't take as long as they expect?"

He knew I knew the answer. "Then I get to come home early." He leaned in and pressed his lips to mine, just barely. "Come home and kiss you." He leaned in again, teasing.

I couldn't help but giggle as he touched his lips to my cheeks, my neck, my shoulder. "Jack, Teddy is going to be up any minute."

"He's not up yet." His lips found my ear, and I shivered.

He huffed when I slid from his embrace to check on the baby, who had just begun to stir in the bassinet.

"Sorry, babe. Not that I wasn't enjoying that, but I figured we probably didn't want to be interrupted by a screaming infant." I settled into the glider so Teddy could eat. "Besides, we needed to get up and get ready for church anyway."

"Later?"

"Oh, definitely."

He grinned and hopped out of bed, making his way to the bathroom.

I looked down at Teddy as he ate. "Your daddy is so silly, Teddy Bear."

...

"Beth." He lightly brushed the back of his hand across my cheek. "I have to leave."

I slowly opened my eyes to see him kneeling beside the bed. "Don't go." I ran my fingers through his hair. "Stay here. Get back in bed. They won't miss you. _I'll_ miss you."

"Elizabeth, you know I have to go." He leaned in and kissed me. "The next two weeks will go by fast. I'll be back before you know it."

I sat up, and he pulled me up beside him. He snaked his arms around my waist.

"I promise I'll call you."

"You'd better." I stood on my toes and kissed him again. "Go ahead and say bye to Teddy. I'll walk you to the door."

I watched as he lifted our son from the bassinet and snuggled him close. "Hey, little man. I have to leave for a little while, but I'll be back soon. You be good for your mama, okay?" He kissed the top of his head. "I love you, Teddy Thornton."

Teddy started fussing as he was lowered back into the bassinet.

"I'll be right back, Teddy Bear." I touched his cheek before I followed Jack down the stairs. "So…"

He stood beside the door, his bag on the floor beside him. "It's just two weeks. We can do this."

"Stay safe."

"Always." He wrapped me in his arms. "I love you, Elizabeth."

"I love you, too. Come back to me, Jack."

"I will." He kissed me soundly once, twice, saying nothing more before he grabbed his bag and headed out the door.

I stood on the porch and watched him drive away, fighting the tears that I felt forming. Teddy's crying grew louder, drawing me back inside.

"Hi, buddy." I picked him up, resting him against my shoulder. "It's just you and me for a little while. Daddy will be back soon. He always comes back." I sighed and settled into the glider to rock him, praying that Jack would come back to us.

...

Rosemary and I loaded the babies into their car seats.

"Okay, I know Teddy is a big baby, but goodness, he looks like he's going to pass up Alina soon, and she's eight months older than him. How much does he weigh now?"

"Over twelve pounds, and he's not even two months old yet."

"I don't envy you." She chuckled. "But at least he wasn't born twelve pounds."

I laughed softly. "He would be an only child forever if he would've been born twelve pounds. Nine and a half was bad enough."

We buckled ourselves into the front seats, and Rosemary backed out of the driveway. "I still don't know how you did that without an epidural."

"Honestly, I don't know, either." I smiled as I glanced back at the babies. "Thanks for thinking of this, Rosie. I needed to get out of the house."

It had been a week since Jack had left. I hadn't done much aside from taking care of Teddy, so Rosemary had suggested we take a trip to Pawhuska to visit the Mercantile again, though part of me wondered if Jack had asked her to find some way get me out of the house.

Both babies were asleep by the time we reached our destination, but Alina woke when we got out of the car. Her eyes were wide as she took in everything around her. Meanwhile, Teddy just snoozed away in my arms.

"Oh, my goodness. I forgot how amazing this food is."

"So good. I've been dreaming of this quesadilla all week." I took a bite and closed my eyes, savoring it.

Rosemary took a sip of her lemonade. "So, how have you been with Jack being gone?"

I sighed. "It's a little bit easier this time, because I've had more regular communication with him. He's busy, though, so it's been just a quick text to let me know he's okay every other day or so. I'm glad I have Teddy to distract me the rest of the time." I glanced down at the baby; he was still sleeping peacefully in the crook of my arm. "Except I think he misses Jack, too. He's been crying more before bedtime, I think because he's so used to Jack putting him to bed."

"How long until he comes back?" She fed Alina a bite of potato.

"He's supposed to be there another week, but it depends on if they get everything squared away by then. He texted me earlier and said he should be able to call me tonight, so he should be able to tell me then if anything has changed."

"That's good."

We continued to chat as we finished eating, then we fed the babies before we left the table.

I wrapped Teddy back up so he was snuggled against my chest while Rosemary and I browsed the store.

"Can you believe that the last time we were here, Jack and I weren't even engaged, Teddy wasn't even a blip on my radar, and you were only halfway to meeting Alina?"

"That feels like a lifetime ago."

Without our husbands there, we didn't feel so rushed, and we took our time looking around at everything. Now awake, Teddy was fascinated by everything I picked up.

Rosemary and I both purchased a few things before we headed upstairs to the bakery.

I smiled as I remembered eating the cupcakes in Jack's hotel room while we watched _Sound of Music_ , and how we fell asleep together on the couch. Even then, I knew I would marry him someday, though I definitely didn't think it would be so soon.

"We really should do another weekend getaway together."

"I was just thinking the same thing. I'll ask Lee what his schedule looks like."

I rubbed Teddy's back as he started to squirm, trying to calm him down. "It'll require a lot more planning since we both have babies now."

She smiled. "We'll figure something out."

...

That evening, I leaned back against the headboard, settling Teddy on my lap. "Okay, Teddy Bear, daddy's going to call any second to talk to us, so we need to be ready. Are you ready?"

I stared at the phone in my hand, grinning when Jack's name finally popped up on the screen.

"Hey, babe. It's good to see your face."

"You, too. I miss you. How's our boy?"

"I don't know. Why don't you ask him?" I angled the phone so Teddy was on the screen.

"Hi, bud. Are you having fun with mama?"

Teddy cooed, and Jack chuckled.

"Oh, really? I love you, little man. I'll see you soon, okay?"

I turned the phone back on me. "I think he misses you. He's been fussing a little more than usual, mostly at bedtime."

"I'm sorry."

I shook my head. "It's fine. You'll be home soon, and he won't even remember that you were gone. You will be home soon, right?"

"Mhmm." He nodded. "It's looking like their two-week estimate was about right. I'll let you know if anything changes, though."

"Is everything going smoothly there?"

"For the most part. Nothing unexpected has come up so far, so that's good. What have you been up to?"

"Rosemary and I took a day trip with the babies to the Mercantile." I covered my mouth as I yawned. "Sorry, it's been a long day."

He chuckled. "I can imagine. That's what, like four hours in a car total? And with two infants, that's a lot."

"It was so worth it, though. I forgot how good that food is. I don't think I'll be able to eat for the next three days. Oh, and I got you a present."

"Is it a plate?"

I chuckled. "No, it's not a plate, or a mug, or any sort of dish. It's not really a serious gift, but you'll like it. I promise. Rosemary didn't understand it."

"Now I'm really curious."

"Well, you have to come home to find out what it is." I gave him a mischievous smile.

"I'll work fast." He winked.

Teddy started squirming in my arms. I set down my phone and resituated him. "Hey, Teddy Bear. Are you hungry, or are you just restless because you can hear daddy?" I looked at the clock beside me. "Give me a second, Jack. He's hungry."

"I should've thought about it and called after he ate."

"No, this is fine." I picked the phone back up once Teddy was happily filling his belly. "If you had called later, he would've been asleep, and you wouldn't have gotten to talk to him."

"True." He sighed. "Man, I miss you both so much. I miss sitting with you while you feed him."

"At least you only have one more week. It's not like when you had to leave for a whole month right after we got married."

"That was the worst. I'm still sorry about that."

I shook my head. "That's in the past. You can't change it. And you came back."

He smiled. "Have I mentioned lately how lucky I am to have you? I love you."

"I love you, too."

...

A few days later, my phone buzzed, and Jack's name flashed across the screen.

"Jack. I didn't expect to hear from you tonight." I turned my phone on speaker and set it on top of the dresser. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. I just got a few minutes to myself, and I wanted to hear your voice."

I laid Teddy on the changing table and grabbed a clean diaper and onesie from the drawer. "Well, I'm glad you called. I miss you."

"I miss you, too. What are you doing right now?"

"Just getting Teddy ready for bed."

"How cute is he tonight? Scale of one to ten?"

I chuckled as I looked down at Teddy. "Like a twelve. I'd go higher, because obviously he's the cutest baby who's ever existed, but I'm currently changing a particularly nasty diaper, so that knocks him down a few points."

"He really is the cutest baby. I can't wait to see him again."

"Just him?" I fastened the fresh diaper on him.

"Well, of course I can't wait to see you too, beautiful." He cleared his throat. "By the way, did you get a delivery today?"

"Um, no, I don't think so. Was I supposed to?"

"Yes. Go check when you're finished changing Teddy."

"Okay…" I slipped the onesie over Teddy's head and carried him to the crib. "I'll be right back, Teddy Bear. Jack, I'll be right back. I'm just going to leave my phone up here while I check."

"Okay."

I headed down the stairs, wondering what sort of delivery could be waiting on the front porch. I nearly fell down when I opened the front door.

He was standing there, holding a bouquet of purple roses.

"Jack!"

He pulled me into his arms. "I told you I couldn't wait to see you, Beth." He kissed me deeply and backed me into the house, kicking the door closed behind him. "I love you."

"I love you, too. I can't believe you're home. You weren't supposed to be back for a couple more days."

"We finished early, and I like surprising you." He set down the flowers and linked his fingers behind my back.

"You know I don't like surprises, but I guess I can let this one slide." I sighed, rubbing my hand across his cheek. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you, too." He kissed me again. "Do you need to check on Teddy?"

"Yes. He's going to be so happy to have you back. He likes it better when you put him to bed."

"I need to go get my bag from the car. I'll meet you upstairs and help you with bedtime." He kissed me softly.

I couldn't stop grinning as I made my way up the stairs and picked up Teddy from his room. "Hey, Teddy Bear. Guess what. Your daddy came home early. Isn't that exciting?" He cooed as I carried him across the hall and settled into the glider. "That means he can put you to bed tonight after you eat. I know you've missed him at bedtime. And maybe we can all go to the park tomorrow or watch a movie in the backyard."

I heard the door close downstairs and Jack talking to the dogs.

A few moments later, he came into our bedroom. He set his bag by the closet before he returned to my side. "Goodness, he's gotten a lot bigger since I left."

He pulled away from me at the sound of Jack's voice.

"Do you hear your daddy? You can go to him in a minute, but you need to finish eating first." I got him resituated before I looked back at Jack. "He still eats all the time, so I'm not surprised."

"I'll have to start calling him 'big man.'" He chuckled and brushed his finger across the bottom of Teddy's foot.

I changed into my pajamas while Jack burped Teddy and put him to bed. I was right about him preferring Jack at bedtime; he didn't fuss at all.

Jack stripped down to his boxers and slid into the bed beside me. "I missed this, sharing a bed with you."

"Me too." I snuggled into his chest.

"So, what's my present that you were telling me about the other day?"

I leaned up and pressed my lips to his. "I'll give it to you in the morning. Unless, of course, you don't want _this_ present right now." I kissed him again, deeply, running my hands across his chest.

He grinned. "The other present can wait."


	39. Chapter 39

I smiled when I carried Teddy into the kitchen and saw Jack at the stove. "Oh, Teddy Bear, your daddy is a goof." I chuckled. "I see you're putting your gift to good use."

He turned and grinned, showing off his dimples as he motioned toward the flowery apron I had picked up for him during my trip to the Mercantile. "I think it might be my favorite."

"I can't wait until Teddy is old enough to be embarrassed by you." I took a seat at the table, settling the baby in my lap.

"Me neither." He winked and turned his attention back to the stove.

"And to think, this whole apron thing started because my Blues beat your Canucks."

I could almost hear him roll his eyes. "It's probably a good thing that we haven't watched another hockey game together since then."

I laughed. "Jack Thornton, it wasn't even that bad. I slept through most of the game, so you didn't have to experience my gloating."

"True, and I got gooey butter cake out of it, so that alone was worth the loss."

I secured Teddy in the bouncy seat and pulled two glasses from the cupboard. "Do you want gooey butter cake for your birthday?"

"Why is that even a question? Of course I want gooey butter cake for my birthday."

"With as much as we talk about it in this house, I wouldn't be surprised if Teddy's first words are 'gooey butter cake.'"

"I was hoping for 'dada,' but I like that better." He met my eyes and laughed.

"So, what are you making?"

"Chocolate chip pancakes."

I licked my lips. "Mm. You sure know the way to my heart." I kissed his cheek before I reached back into the cabinet for plates.

"I keep a list," he joked. "One: _Sound of Music_. Two: _Jane Eyre_. Three: purple roses. Four: chocolate chip pancakes."

"You know me well." I grinned. "And _I_ know the ways to _your_ heart are gooey butter cake, the outdoors, the Canucks, and that navy blue dress I have."

"And yet there were some people who thought we got married before we really knew each other."

I stood behind him and slipped my arms around his waist. "We knew enough." I kissed his shoulder. "I love you."

He turned to press his lips to mine. "I love you, too." He flipped the last pancake onto a plate and carried the stack to the table. "Now eat up, so we can get to church on time."

...

I stood in the doorway of the nursery, watching Jack as he dressed Teddy in a collared onesie and khaki shorts.

"Okay, little man, we're going to be quiet while we're at church, right?" Jack looked down at Teddy as he spoke to him. "So if you're feeling particularly talkative this morning, you better get it all out now."

As if he was really understanding Jack, Teddy cooed in response.

"Oh, really?" Jack continued to reply to Teddy's garbled noises.

"What are you two talking about in here?"

Jack lifted Teddy to his shoulder and turned to meet my eyes. "Teddy was just telling me that he's going to be a very good boy at church and that he really hopes you packed a full bottle, because he's expecting to be very hungry later."

Teddy squealed, his lips turning up into a smile.

"Oh, hello to you, too, Teddy Bear." I touched the dimple on his cheek. "You look very dapper this morning. So does your daddy." I stood on my toes to kiss Jack, running my fingers across the collar of his shirt. "We better get going."

Twenty minutes later, we took our seats in the pew beside Abigail, Clara, and Jesse.

"Good to see you all." Abigail smiled. "For a minute there, I thought you weren't coming."

I shifted Teddy in my arms as he started to doze. "Maybe one of these days, I'll remember that it takes longer to get ready now that we have a baby to worry about."

She chuckled. "I remember those days. May I?" She held out her arms, and I passed Teddy to her. "Well, you are such a handsome little man."

He yawned and blinked sleepily.

I noticed Clara brush her hand across her stomach as she watched the baby fall asleep. It wouldn't be much longer before there was another baby around to distract us all during church.

Jack went straight to the kitchen to warm a bottle for Teddy when we arrived at the café after church. I paced back and forth in the dining room with a whimpering Teddy in my arms. I assured him that he would be fed soon.

Eventually, we all settled around the table to enjoy the lunch that Abigail and Clara had prepared. Teddy was nestled in Jesse's arms as he took his bottle. I nudged Jack with my elbow and drew his attention to them.

He smiled. "He'll be a great dad."

"But not as great as you." I kissed his cheek. "You're the best."

...

"Are we crazy?"

"Hmm?" Jack glanced at me from the corner of his eye as he drove.

"Taking two dogs and a two-month-old infant on a camping trip; we must be crazy."

"It'll be great. The dogs will love it. Teddy will love it."

"He won't have any idea what's going on."

"Come on, where's your sense of adventure? Besides, it's just one night."

I turned around and looked in the mirror attached above Teddy's car seat. He was looking around, wide-eyed. "But what if something happens to him while we're out here?"

"Elizabeth, everything will be fine. He's healthy, we have a first aid kit, and we aren't too far from an urgent care."

I sighed as we turned into the campsite. "You're right. It'll be fine."

"It'll be _great_." He parked the car and leaned across the center console to kiss me. "Love you."

"Love you, too."

"I'll start unloading."

I unbuckled Teddy while Jack started unloading our things from the trunk. "I can help you with the tent in a little bit, babe. Teddy's looking hungry." He was squirming in his seat, sucking on his fist.

"Okay. Take your time."

I took a seat in the car and settled in to feed Teddy. "Okay, Teddy Bear. I need you to enjoy this weekend. Your daddy loves camping, and I imagine we'll be taking lots of camping trips with him in the future. We started this little tradition last year, and we talked about someday bringing our kids camping." I laughed quietly. "We definitely didn't expect to have a baby with us this year. But we're very, very happy that you're here with us, Teddy."

He watched my face as he ate, his golden eyes wide. His eyelashes glinted in the sunlight, impossibly long just like his father's.

I looked out the car door. Jack was setting out the tent while the dogs sniffed around the campsite. He glanced up at me and smiled.

"Goodness, I love your daddy so much. And I love _you_ so much, too."

He pulled away from me, his lips turning up into a smile. My heart melted at his precious face.

"Okay, let's get you burped so we can help daddy."

An hour later, Jack and I were sitting in our camping chairs beside the tent, Teddy settled in his lap. Bronte was curled up by his feet, Rip stretched out beneath a tree nearby.

"This is perfect, this moment right here. Let's just stay here forever."

"I wish we could."

He brushed his thumb across Teddy's cheek. "Little man seems to be enjoying camping so far."

I smiled and nodded. "Just another thing he has in common with you. He's just like his daddy."

...

Jack coaxed the dogs into the tent and zipped up the flap behind him. "Okay, I think we're all in for the night now." He turned toward me. "Elizabeth, what's wrong?"

I quickly wiped my eyes. "Nothing. I'm fine."

He sank down on the sleeping bag beside me. "Hey, you're not fine. You can tell me what's bothering you."

I continued to stare straight ahead, watching our son sleeping peacefully. "It just hit me that I have to go back to work in a couple of weeks, which means I have to leave Teddy. I've never been away from him for more than a couple of hours. I'll be away from him eight hours a day, five days a week."

He slipped his arm around my shoulder. "It was tough for me to go back to work after he was born, and that was just after two weeks. I can't even imagine how much harder it'll be for you."

"It just feels like he's such a part of me. He literally _was_ a part of me for nine months. I'll miss him."

"It'll get easier eventually." He kissed my temple. "Would you feel better if I took off work the first couple of days you're back to stay with him?"

"That might just make me jealous, knowing you're home with him and I'm not."

"Okay, I know we've talked about this multiple times before, but are you really sure that you're ready to go back to work?"

I sighed. "Yes, but also no. I can't imagine ever giving up teaching, but I also can't imagine spending so much time away from Teddy. And I know that I'll need to let him go eventually, but it's just so hard to think about right now."

Jack pulled me to his chest. "Everything will be okay, Beth. You can always change your mind about going back to work. I'll support you in whatever you decide. I know we both want what's best for him, and we'll figure out what that is."

"You're too good for me, Jack Thornton."

He chuckled and pressed his lips to the top of my head. "I'm going to have to disagree with you there."

"Sorry for getting all emotional about this." I wiped my eyes again.

"Hey, don't ever apologize for your feelings." He tightened his arms around me. "How about we get some sleep? We've got an early morning ahead of us."

...

I woke when Jack turned over. The sun was just beginning to rise; I could see the gray dawn through the clear panel on the roof of the tent.

Jack brushed his thumb across my cheek. "Good morning, beautiful."

I met his eyes and smiled. "Good morning, birthday boy. Are you ready for a day of fishing?"

"Or we could just stay right here all day." He wrapped his arms around me, kissing my temple.

"That sounds heavenly, but we really should put all our fishing gear to use since we brought it all out here."

"But it's my birthday." He pretended to pout.

"Oh, don't worry," I kissed him softly, "I have plans for when we get home tonight that will make up for not staying in here all day."

He grinned. "I can't wait."

...

Teddy was wrapped up against my chest as we stood by the water. Jack had waded in a few feet and was waiting for a tug on his line. Rip found a spot under a tree, and Bronte was laying on the bank of the river, her nose breaking the surface of the water. It was so peaceful: the bright sunshine filtering through the trees and reflecting off the water, the quiet sounds of the river flowing over stones.

I had tried fishing for a while earlier in the day, but gave up when Teddy grew fussy and needed my attention.

For now, I was content to watch Jack and snuggle with my son.

I unwrapped Teddy when he started to squirm. "Getting restless there, Teddy Bear?" I carried him over to the water and crouched down. He squealed when his toes touched the cool water.

Jack turned around at the sound. "Having fun over there?"

"Yes, we are. Care to join us?"

He slowly made his way over to us, setting his pole on the grass. He touched my cheek. "Hi."

"Hi." I smiled. "So what do you think of your birthday so far?"

"Perfect. But I'm thinking I'm about ready to go home, cuddle up on the couch with you and Teddy, and then start on whatever plans you were referencing this morning."

Teddy squealed again, splashing both of us when he kicked his feet in the water.

"Or maybe we can let him have his fun before we leave." Jack chuckled as he brushed the water from his face.

...

I rolled over and kissed him. "Happy birthday, Jack."

"Mm, I think this has been the best birthday I've ever had."

"Even though I got all weepy during our camping trip because I don't want to leave Teddy?"

"Honestly, I love you even more for that. I love how much you love him." He shifted until he was nearly on top of me. "But it was also the best birthday because this is the first birthday I've gotten to spend with you—" He cut himself off when he pressed his lips to mine.

I looked at him curiously. "You spent your last birthday with me."

"I wasn't finished." He grinned. "What I was saying is that this is the first birthday I've gotten to spend with you as _my wife_. Last year on my birthday, I had a fiancée. This year, I have a wife and son. The world's best wife and son, to be exact."

"Jack Thornton, are you trying to sweet talk me?"

"Maybe. But it's also the truth." He kissed me again. "I love you, Beth."

"I love you, too."


	40. Chapter 40

A/N I apologize for how long it's taken me to update this story, but thank you all for sticking with me!

Also, I posted chapter 1 of a new story (called Faith, Hope, and Love Abide), so feel free to check that out if you haven't already!

...

"Jack's working today?"

I turned to Faith and nodded. "He took shifts this weekend so he can be off the next couple of days to stay with Teddy since I go back to work tomorrow."

"That's great that he can do that."

"Yeah, and then Rosemary has offered to watch him when we're both working."

Rosemary perked up. "I heard my name."

I chuckled. "I was just telling Faith that you're going to watch Teddy when Jack and I are at work."

She smiled. "Oh, yes. I'm very excited. I'm hoping it'll help me convince Lee that we're ready for another one."

I stifled a laugh as Lee rolled his eyes.

"You're putting a lot of pressure on her son, there."

"Really, the pressure is on me to see if I can handle two babies at once."

"Our Sunday lunches are going to outgrow the café if you all keep having babies." Abigail laughed.

"There could be worse problems to have." Clara grinned and rubbed her belly, where a visible bump was just starting to pop out.

"Very true." Abigail grinned and snuggled Teddy closer. "You all just keep having babies. We can find somewhere else for our Sunday lunches if we need to."

...

Teddy smiled and cooed as I dragged the washcloth across his body.

"Yeah? You like bath time, don't you, Teddy Bear? You've liked it ever since you were born, but you probably won't like it for too much longer, though. When you get bigger, bath time can take away from play time, and I have a feeling that you won't like that. We'll just have to get you some fun bath toys."

I lifted him from the bath and wrapped him in a clean towel.

"Goodness, I always forget to bring your clothes down here when I bathe you, and now we have to take you all the way upstairs in nothing but a towel, _again_." I chuckled and shook my head as I made my way up the stairs. "Maybe someday I'll remember."

I took my time dressing him in his pajamas, savoring every moment with him, because I knew I would be leaving him for work the next day. He gave me a toothless smile as I talked softly to him, showing off the dimples he got from his father. "Well, that's just the cutest little smile I've ever seen." I brushed my finger across his cheek, and he cooed back at me. "Oh, yeah? What else?" I chuckled when he continued making sweet little noises, as if he was actually answering me.

"Elizabeth?" Jack's voice floated up from downstairs.

"Up here."

His footsteps were heavy as he trekked up the stairs, and I knew he was probably exhausted. "Hi."

I turned to face him. He was leaning against the doorframe, a smile covering his face.

"Hi."

"Sorry that I had to work late."

"That's okay. It gave us a little more mama-Teddy time. We went to church and then lunch with everyone, then we came home and read a little bit in the backyard. And little man just got a nice bath. We had lots of fun today." I tickled Teddy's belly, and he grinned. "Right, Teddy Bear?"

"I'm glad you had a good day. And I figured you'd rather spend more time with him tonight than make dinner, so I picked up some Panera."

"Broccoli cheddar soup and extra bread?"

"Mhmm, and a chocolate chip cookie."

"Bless you, Jack Thornton." I lifted Teddy to my shoulder and kissed Jack on the cheek. "Well, I'm starving. Let's go eat."

He pressed his lips to mine. "I'm going to change first. I'll be right down."

I settled Teddy in the bouncy seat downstairs and pulled our dinner from the bag that Jack had left on the counter. "Teddy Bear, you have the very best daddy. He's so thoughtful. Sometimes I think he knows me better than I know myself. It's like he knows what I need before _I_ even know what I need." I kissed his forehead. "I hope you inherited his thoughtfulness."

"What are you two talking about in here?" Jack sat at the table.

"You." I set his food in front of him and took my own seat. "I was just telling Teddy how thoughtful you are."

"Well, I don't know about that."

I squeezed his hand. "You _are_ thoughtful, Jack, among lots of other things that I love about you. I really couldn't have asked for a better husband."

"Thank you, Beth." He lifted my hand to his lips. "For the record, I couldn't have asked for a better wife. Now," he smiled, "let's eat."

...

"Oh, before I forget, I have a back-to-school gift for you."

"You didn't have to get me anything."

"I know." He grinned and held out a gift bag. "It's nothing big."

I pulled the objects from the bag and smiled. He had printed off and framed a few pictures of Teddy when he was a newborn, at his baptism, and on our camping trip.

"I figured you could put those in your classroom somewhere, so you can see him during the day even when he's not with you."

I leaned in and kissed him. "These are perfect, babe." I ran my finger along one of the frames. The photo showed Jack holding Teddy just a few hours after he was born. "I think this one is my favorite. There's just something about seeing how tiny he looks in your arms. I love seeing you with him."

"Well, this one is my favorite." He held out the frame containing a photo of a day-old Teddy sleeping on my chest. "We really did make the cutest baby." He kissed my cheek.

"That we did. He's my favorite thing." I smiled and sighed. "As terrified as I was when I first found out, I really am glad you got me pregnant by accident."

He laughed, nudging me with his shoulder. "Hey, it took both of us to make him."

I leaned back on his chest. "Touché."

He set all the frames on the nightstand beside him and threaded his fingers in mine. He brushed his lips across my temple. "We should probably go to sleep now. You have an early morning."

"Hold me?"

"Of course."

I slipped down in the sheets, leaning my head on Jack's pillow. He settled me against his chest, and I drifted off quickly.

...

"Elizabeth, we'll be fine." He held out his arms, ready for me to hand over the baby.

"Are you sure? What if he decides he doesn't want the bottle so he refuses to eat?"

He lifted Teddy from my arms and kissed the top of my head. "Beth, honey, he's been taking a bottle for a month, and he's had no problem with it so far. I don't see why he would suddenly stop taking it."

I sighed. "I just don't want to leave him."

"I know you don't, but we've talked about this. It's just until this afternoon. I have Carson's number if—God forbid—anything happens. We'll be right here when you get home." He looked down at our son. "Right, sweet boy? Tell your mama that we'll be just fine today." Teddy grinned up at him.

"Okay, but I'm calling you on my lunch break to check in."

"I would expect nothing less." He leaned in and kissed me softly before shooing me out the door.

I stood on the porch and looked back at my husband and son. "I'll miss you both. And I'm coming straight home as soon as all of my students are gone."

"Okay. Now go. You're going to be late."

...

I stood in the hallway outside of my classroom, watching all the students make their way around the school.

"Mrs. Thornton!" I heard a little voice down the hall, and the girl ran up and wrapped her arms around my legs.

"Hello, Opal! It's so good to see you. How are you?"

"Good, but I wish I was in your class again this year."

"Oh, I know. But I have a feeling that you'll love third grade."

"Did you have your baby?"

I grinned. "I did, a couple of months ago. His name is Teddy. Would you like to see a picture of him?"

She nodded excitedly.

"Okay. Wait right here." I hurried into the classroom and grabbed a couple of the frames from my desk. I knelt down beside her, holding out the frame containing a picture from Teddy's baptism. "He was only a week old in this picture."

"What about that one?" She pointed at the other frame, which contained a photo of Jack and Teddy from our camping trip.

"This was just a few weeks ago. He's two months old there."

"He looks like your sheriff."

I chuckled. "Yes, he does."

"Maybe you can bring him here so we can meet him."

I nodded. "Maybe when he's a little bit older." I stood up. "Well, you'd better get over to your class. It was so good to see you, Opal, and you're welcome to come by and say hi whenever you want."

"Thank you, Mrs. Thornton." She hugged me again and skipped down the hallway to her classroom.

I entered my classroom and put the photographs back on my desk. Within fifteen minutes, every desk was filled, and twenty-three precious faces were looking up at me.

"Hello, everyone! I'm very happy that you're all in my class this year. My name is Mrs. Thornton." I turned around and wrote my name on the board. "Now, to start out the day, I want each of you to take out a sheet of paper and put your name at the top, and then write down a few things about yourself."

A little hand went up in the air.

"Yes, Anna?"

"What kinds of things?"

"Anything you want to tell me. It could be something about your family, or your favorite color, or something you like to do. I'll give you some examples." I turned back to the board and started writing. "I have two sisters. I'm married to a sheriff, and we have a son named Teddy. My favorite color is purple, my favorite movie is _The Sound of Music_ , and I like to bake."

I watched them as they all started writing on their papers. It was going to be a good year.

...

I retreated to my classroom as soon as I dropped my class off at recess, deciding to eat my lunch alone so I could pump for Teddy and call Jack before I needed to pick up my students from lunch.

Jack picked up on the first ring.

"How's our boy?"

"Hello to you, too." He chuckled. "Teddy's doing just fine. Let's see if I can answer all the questions I assume you want to ask: he took his whole bottle this morning. He hasn't napped yet, but I'm hoping he will after his next bottle. We're just hanging out now, watching _Indiana Jones_. We might go for a walk later."

"If you take him outside, don't forget to put a hat on him and keep him shaded. We don't want him to get a sunburn."

"I know, I know."

"Has he been fussy?"

"Not any more than normal. Just a little when I took too long to warm his bottle and when he needed a diaper change. And now that we've established that things are going well here, how has _your_ day been so far?"

"Good. I miss Teddy so much, but I'm glad to be back. Oh, it was so great, babe. This morning when I was telling the class a little bit about me, I got to say that I'm married and have a son. So much better than last year when all I could say was that I was engaged. Or the year before, when I didn't even have a boyfriend to mention."

"It feels like we've been together for so much longer than that."

"It does. But sometimes it also feels like we just met yesterday." I could hear Teddy cooing softly. "Oh my goodness, is he making that really cute noise again?"

"The little coos that almost sound like he's talking to you? Yes."

I sighed. "I'm so sad that I'm missing it."

"How much longer is your lunch break?"

I looked up at the clock on the wall. "Fifteen minutes. Why?"

"Let's switch to Facetime. Then you can see little man."

I grinned when I saw my son on the screen a few seconds later. "Hi, Teddy Bear."

His eyes went wide and he smiled at the sound of my voice.

"I miss you, Teddy. I'll be home soon, and then we can snuggle, okay?"

His smile widened and he made the sweet noises that I loved so much.

Jack shifted the phone so he was on the screen. "Will you snuggle with me, too?" He smirked.

"You know I'm always up for snuggling with you."

He smiled mischievously. "Well then, I can't wait for you to get home."

"Just a few more hours." The smile fell from my face. "I should probably get going. I need to get this pump cleaned up and put away so I don't get any questions from my students that I don't know how to answer."

"I'd like to see how you would explain that to a bunch of seven year olds." He laughed. "Have a good afternoon. I love you."

"I love you, too, babe."

...

I grinned when I walked in the front door and saw Jack reclining on the sofa with Teddy resting on his bare chest.

"There are my two favorite guys."

"Shh." He held one finger to his lips. "I just got him to sleep."

I lowered my voice. "How was he?"

"He was fine until he decided that he didn't want to sleep. He cried for about twenty minutes before he finally gave in."

I knelt down beside the sofa and brushed my fingers through Teddy's soft hair. "Poor guy. He was probably just having so much fun with you that he didn't want to miss anything."

"I think he just missed his mama." He pulled my face toward his, lightly pressing his lips to mine. "I missed his mama, too. Hi."

"Hi." I kissed him again. "I'm going to change, and then I need to feed him."

I smiled when I came back down the stairs. Jack and Teddy hadn't moved from their place on the sofa. I almost hated to disturb them, but Teddy was starting to squirm and would need to eat.

"Goodness, I love you both so much."

"We love you, too." Jack passed the baby to me once I was settled on the sofa. He kissed my temple. "Do you need anything?"

"Nope. I'm back with my boys. That's all I need."


	41. Chapter 41

A/N Who's ready for a little first anniversary celebration? Like the honeymoon chapter, this chapter isn't explicit, but there are things implied.

Enjoy!

...

I grinned when Jack came into the kitchen, his hair sticking out in all directions. "Morning, babe. That's some nice bedhead you've got going on there."

He kissed my cheek. "You love my bedhead." He ran his fingers through his hair, mussing it up even more.

"I do love your bedhead. Your stubble, not so much." I rubbed my cheek where the beginnings of his beard had scratched me.

"Did you say you want me to rub my stubble all over your face?" He moved toward me, sticking out his chin.

"Jack Thornton, don't you dare!" I held up a spatula to keep him at bay.

He laughed. "Don't worry. I won't do that today. Is Teddy still asleep?"

"Mhmm." I poured some batter into the waffle iron and turned back toward him. "I guess that's his anniversary gift to us: sleeping in."

"Good kid." He pressed his lips to mine. "Happy anniversary, Elizabeth."

"Happy anniversary, Jack."

He pulled me closer to him, linking his arms around my back. "How much time do we have before work?"

"Not enough for what you're thinking, unless we want both of us and our son to miss breakfast."

"Dang it."

I leaned up and brushed my lips against his. "We can put Teddy to bed early tonight."

"Tonight is so far away," he whined.

"I promise it'll be worth the wait." I handed him a plate and put a hot waffle and a few strips of bacon on it.

He shook his head and smiled. "You will be the death of me, Elizabeth Thornton."

I was just about to kiss him again when Teddy's little cry pierced through the baby monitor sitting on the counter.

"Go ahead and start eating. I'll get him."

Teddy was whimpering in my arms when I returned to the kitchen. I settled into my seat across from Jack, noticing that there was a full plate of food set in front of me.

"You didn't have to make up my plate, Jack."

"Well, you made breakfast, so it's the least I could do. Plus, this way, you don't have to wait until little man finishes eating."

"Thank you."

Teddy quieted down once I started feeding him. I looked down at him and smiled.

"You're just like your daddy, aren't you, Teddy Bear?"

"Hmm?" Jack mumbled, his mouth full. "How is he just like me? And don't say it's because he looks like me."

"He's happiest when he's eating."

Jack laughed. "Yeah, he's definitely my son."

I sighed. "It's a shame we have to work today."

He grinned and reached across the table to squeeze my hand. "It'll just make the evening even more special."

...

I stood on the porch and knocked. The day had been long—I'd had to diffuse multiple arguments when I assigned group work—and I just wanted to see my husband and son.

Rosemary answered the door with Teddy in her arms. Eleven-month-old Alina was standing up, gripping Rosemary's leg to keep steady. "Hi, Elizabeth."

"Hi, Rosie. Thanks for watching him."

Teddy grinned and cooed when he saw me. She passed him to me, and he relaxed into my arms.

"You can come in while I get the diaper bag for you." She scooped Alina up off the floor and headed into the living room. "He was good today, as always."

"Good." I tickled his belly, and he gurgled. "Were you a good boy for aunt Rosie while mama was at work?"

She had been watching him during the day for a few weeks, and the arrangement was going well. It made it easier for me to go to work knowing he was safe and happy with Rosemary.

She handed me the diaper bag, and I slipped it onto my shoulder.

"Are you sure you don't need me to watch him tonight?"

"Jack already asked Becky to babysit, but thank you for the offer." I shifted Teddy in my arms. "He probably thought you could use a break."

She chuckled. "Well, I guess I should thank him, then. I'll see you later, Elizabeth. Have fun with Jack tonight, and happy anniversary."

"Thank you." I gave her a wave and headed across the yard to my house.

Bronte was at my side as soon as I opened the door. I greeted her and dropped the diaper bag on the floor.

When Jack arrived home from work twenty minutes later, I was rocking Teddy on the swing while he ate, watching the dogs wander around the backyard.

Jack sank down onto the swing beside me. "I should've known I'd find you out here."

I smiled. "If we ever move, we need to make sure we have a porch with a swing. I don't care about anything else."

"So, shag carpeting in every room and fake wood paneling on every wall?"

"Well, maybe I do care about other things, too." I laughed. "I really do love this swing, though."

He slipped his arm around my shoulders. "So do I. Do you remember the Sunday after our first date? We spent the afternoon out here, just talking."

"Mhmm. That was a good day."

Teddy grunted and pulled away from me. Jack took him from me, lifting him to his shoulder.

"Do you ever miss that? The early days of our relationship?"

I shook my head. "Not really. I mean, it was fun getting to know each other and everything, but I love where we're at now. I like that we know each other so much better, but we can still learn more." I set my hand on his thigh. "Speaking of knowing each other, thank you for the flowers." I nodded toward the house, where there was a vase of purple roses sitting on the table. They had been waiting on my desk when I arrived at work that morning.

He kissed my temple. "You're welcome."

"Are you a regular at the flower shop yet?"

He chuckled. "Basically. I just have to give my name and they know to make up an arrangement of purple roses."

"Hey, are you going to tell me where dinner is?"

He nudged me with his shoulder. "You've been married to me for a whole year now. That's one thing you should know about me by now: I don't give away my secrets."

"And you should know by now that I don't like surprises."

He grinned. "But you love my surprises."

"At least tell me what time I should be ready."

"I told Becky we'd bring Teddy by around six."

I checked my watch. "In that case, I'd better start getting ready. Are you good here?"

"We're good."

...

"Must be a slow night. I know it's early for the dinner rush, but I don't think I've ever seen the parking lot this empty." I looked around. There were only two cars in the lot besides ours, and one was definitely Abigail's. "I hope everything is okay."

"Mm, I'm sure everything's fine." Jack lifted Teddy from the car seat as I reached for the diaper bag.

Teddy gurgled against Jack's shoulder as we walked around to the back door. Becky was there to greet us.

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Thornton." She opened the door wider to let us in.

"Hi, Becky. Where's your mom?"

"In the front. I'll let her know you're here." She disappeared through the door that led to the dining room.

I set the bag on the table. "Hey, Cody."

He looked up from his homework. "Hey, Mrs. Thornton."

"Is that a history report?"

"Yeah. I have to write about the Land Run."

"Ah, yes. Where the nickname 'the Sooner State' comes from."

He glanced over at Jack. "Is that where the OU Sooners come from, too?"

"Mhmm. Boomer Sooner."

We all turned when we heard the door open again.

"There's the royal family of Hope Valley."

I laughed and hugged her. "Hi, Abigail."

"You look lovely, Elizabeth. And your sheriff is looking quite handsome, himself."

Jack chuckled. "Thank you, Abigail."

Becky took the baby from him, and he slid his arm around my waist.

"Okay, I think everything should be set for Teddy. There are diapers and a bottle and a change of clothes in the bag. There's some extra milk in there, too, but he shouldn't need it." I looked over at Jack. "We should probably get going."

"You two just enjoy yourselves. We've got everything under control."

"Thank you."

I started moving toward the back door, but Jack grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the dining room.

"What are you doing?"

"Shh." He opened the door to reveal an empty dining room.

Our usual table was covered in a tablecloth, two candles lit in the center. So _that_ was why the parking lot had been empty.

"Jack…"

He pulled out a chair for me. "I'll take you to a fancy restaurant in Tulsa when we can get away for a whole weekend, but I thought this would be a good place for tonight."

I smiled and took a seat. "It's _perfect_."

It _was_ perfect. The café was the place where I first took notice of him, the place where we had our first date, the place where we told our friends that I was pregnant with Teddy.

It was only right for us to spend our first anniversary there.

We spent the evening eating a delicious meal and reminiscing about the first year of our marriage.

After we ate, Jack stood and offered his hand, pulling me to the center of the room. He pressed something on his phone, and music started playing, filling the dining room. He kissed me softly as we turned slowly, his hands on the small of my back and my hands on the back of his neck.

"It's still true."

"Hm?"

He leaned in to kiss me again. "On our honeymoon, I told you that I'll want to dance with you until the day I die. I still feel that way."

"Goodness, I don't know what I did in my life to deserve you, Jack Thornton, but I'm certainly glad I did whatever it was."

"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?"

"Multiple times." I felt a blush creep into my cheeks. How he was still able to get that reaction out of me, I had no idea.

"You're not allowed to get rid of this dress." He fingered the navy blue lace covering my shoulder.

I laughed softly. "Okay, and you can't get rid of this tie." I slid the purple silk through my fingers.

"Never. I married you in this tie. Nothing could convince me to get rid of it." He brought his lips to my ear. "But you can convince me to take it off."

I shivered. "Let's go home."

...

"Teddy's asleep, so he should be good until his middle-of-the-night feed." He came into the room and froze when he noticed me sitting on the edge of the bed, wearing a new lavender satin robe, candles lit on our nightstands. "Elizabeth, when did you…? How…?"

I smiled mischievously. "Happy anniversary, babe."

"I would've skipped the fancy dinner if I knew this is what was waiting for me." He grinned and pulled me up from the bed, brushing a strand of hair from my face. "You are so beautiful, Elizabeth Thornton. Thank you for marrying me."

I kissed him. "Thank you for making this last year the best year of my life."

"It's been my pleasure." He loosened the tie on my robe. "Now, I know this robe is new. Is there something new under it?"

"Nope. Nothing new. _Nothing at all_." I felt my cheeks redden in disbelief that I spoke the words aloud.

He raised his eyebrows, sliding his hands under the smooth fabric and over my shoulders. "Best anniversary ever." He nudged me backward.

"Well, it's only our first, so there's not really anything to compare it to."

"Shh." He pressed his lips to mine.

...

I woke in the middle of the night, feeling oddly cold. I moved toward Jack's side of the bed, only to realize that he wasn't there.

I opened my eyes to find him carrying Teddy into the room. I reached for my robe and slipped it on as he returned to the bed.

"Sorry to wake you, but the little man is hungry. I would feed him, but there aren't any bottles ready." He lowered Teddy into my arms so I could feed him.

"So, when we got married, is this how you imagined we'd be spending our first anniversary?"

"Awake in the middle of the night while you feed our son?" He chuckled and shook his head. "Not at all. But this is so much better than anything I could have imagined." He sighed contentedly, brushing his finger across Teddy's foot. "We should make another one."

I froze. "What?"

"Let's have another baby."

"Like…now?"

"Sure."

"Jack, our son is only three months old. Don't you think it's a little soon to have another one?"

He shrugged. "He'd be at least a year old by the time the next one came, and that's if you got pregnant right away. We don't have to start trying right now, but will you at least think about it?"

"Okay, I'll think about it."

He kissed my temple. "That's all I'm asking for."

We both fell into silence as we watched Teddy fill his belly.

I tried to imagine what it would be like to have another one. Twice the diapers, twice the feedings, twice the fussing.

Twice the smiles, twice the cuddles, twice the love.

I felt Jack's eyes on my face. I glanced up at him. "What?"

"You're thinking about it."

"Maybe…" The corners of my lips turned up, and he grinned. "Stop looking at me like that! I'm not going to make a decision right this second. There's a lot to consider. Like the fact that, if I got pregnant again, you wouldn't be able to see me in that navy blue dress for at least six or eight months, maybe longer."

He held out his hands as if he was weighing two things. "Navy blue dress… Another perfect baby… That is a tough choice." He winked and kissed my cheek. "I'll put little man back in his room."

With his belly full, Teddy was nearly asleep again, his eyelids drooping.

"Thank you, Jack." I kissed the top of Teddy's head before I carefully passed him to Jack. "Night, Teddy Bear."

I settled back against my pillow while Jack put our son to sleep.

A few minutes later, he climbed back into the bed and wrapped his arms around me, his hands warm against my stomach. I tucked my head under his chin.

"Jack."

"Hmm?"

"I want another baby. Not now, but soon."

"Okay." He kissed the top of my head. "I love you, Beth."

"I love you, too."


	42. Chapter 42

A/N Apologies for how long this chapter took! I had a bit of writer's block on this story, but I finally got past it. Hope you enjoy!

...

I turned over when Jack came into the bedroom.

"I have to get going, Beth."

"Work?"

"Yes, but remember I'm just working a half shift today, though, so I'll be home for lunch." He kissed my forehead.

"Anything in particular you want for lunch?"

"Not really."

"Okay." I leaned up to meet his lips. "I'll see you later."

"Oh, I think little man will be up soon. It sounded like he was moving around in there."

"Thanks, babe. I love you. Stay safe."

"I will." He kissed me again. "I love you, Beth."

I rolled out of bed as soon as I heard the door close downstairs and meandered down the hall to the nursery. Teddy was stirring, just as Jack had said.

He was beginning to fuss, and I noticed that his nose was dripping.

I lifted him to my shoulder. "Good morning, Teddy Bear. Are you feeling a little under the weather today?"

I put my hand on his forehead, and he didn't feel warm, so I figured he probably just had a cold. I grabbed a burp cloth and wiped his nose.

"Let's go clear out your nose and then have some breakfast."

After relieving his stuffy nose as best as I could, I settled on the sofa downstairs to feed him.

"Goodness, you've gotten so big, Teddy Bear." He reached up and gripped the edge of my shirt as he ate. "Although I guess you've always been pretty big, thanks to your daddy's genes. I hope your siblings aren't all as big as you."

As I watched him eat, I thought about what it would be like to have another baby. Jack had stopped mentioning having another one after he suggested it on our anniversary a few weeks prior, and I knew that it would be up to me to bring it up again when I was ready.

I still felt like we weren't ready, though. Teddy was still so young. Having a toddler and a newborn would be a lot of work and a lot of crying, not to mention a lot of diapers and less sleep. It would make more sense to wait until Teddy was more independent before we brought another baby into our family.

But there would be so many good things, too. Getting to feel a baby moving inside me again, getting to experience all the milestones and firsts again. Plus, I had to admit that Jack and I did make a very cute baby, and it wouldn't hurt to have another sweet little face to kiss.

"What do you think, Teddy? Do you want a little brother or sister? Or do you want to stay an only child for a little while longer? You would be over a year old before the baby came, so you'll probably be walking and talking a little by then, and you should be on a better sleeping schedule." He watched me intently while I spoke, his fingers resting against my skin. "Your aunt Vi and I are only about a year apart, and we had so much fun together when we were growing up. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing for you to have a sibling so close in age. Do you think your daddy and I could handle another one of you?"

...

I leaned Teddy against my legs, covering his little body with a washcloth. "What do you think about being in the big bathtub, Teddy Bear?" I brushed my finger across his cheek, and he smiled, giving me a little coo. "Sometimes baths help me feel better when I'm feeling sick, so maybe this will help you feel better. Besides, a little extra snuggle time is never a bad thing."

I sang to him quietly while I bathed him. Eventually, he began dozing, and I shifted him to my chest. I skimmed my fingers across his soft skin until he was nearly asleep.

We must have been in there for longer than I thought, because I heard the front door open, and Jack called out my name.

"Upstairs." I made no move to get out of the tub, still cradling Teddy against my chest.

"Elizabeth?"

"We're in the bathroom."

He appeared in the doorway a few seconds later. "What's going on in here?"

"I think he has a cold, so I thought maybe a bath would help."

"Did it?"

"I think so." I touched his cheek, and he started to squirm. "He was almost asleep, so it at least relaxed him."

"Well, I might be feeling a bit under the weather today. Maybe you could take a bath with me later." He winked.

"Maybe." I smirked. "Can you take him?"

He draped a towel over his shoulder and lifted Teddy off of me.

"Poor guy." He leaned him against his chest and rubbed his back. "I'm sorry you don't feel well, little man." He held out one hand to help me from the tub. "You're sure it's just a cold?"

I nodded and wrapped a towel around myself. "Pretty sure. He's mostly just stuffed up and fussy. He doesn't have a fever, and he ate fine this morning, so I'm not worried. I just know how uncomfortable it is when I'm congested, so I imagine that's how he's feeling."

"Being congested is the worst. And poor little man is too young to understand why he's feeling this way."

"Exactly. I feel bad for him, so I basically haven't put him down all morning."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"If you could get him dressed, that would help."

"On it." He kissed my cheek and took Teddy to the nursery.

I finished drying off before I slipped into a sundress and a pair of sandals.

Jack stopped in the doorway of our bedroom, gently bouncing Teddy in his arms. "Going somewhere?"

I took Teddy from him so he could change out of his uniform. "I packed up some sandwiches for us and a bottle for Teddy, and I thought we could go to the park with the dogs and have a picnic lunch."

"That sounds perfect."

...

Jack hooked the dogs' leashes to a stake beside the blanket I had laid out, and we all settled down on the ground.

I started unpacking the bag of food. "The sandwiches are roast beef. I'd like to say I did that intentionally because I know that's your favorite, but really it's because that's all we had."

He grinned as I handed one of the sandwiches to him. "I'll pretend you had choices and you chose this for me."

Bronte lay down beside him, eagerly watching him and hoping for some crumbs to come her way. Rip, meanwhile, had sauntered a few feet from us and rolled onto his side, not caring about anything going on around him.

Jack chuckled. "We probably could've left Rip at home and he wouldn't have even noticed we were all gone."

I smiled. "I would've felt bad leaving him, though. He may be lazy and indifferent, but he's part of the family."

Teddy cooed.

"See, Teddy agrees." I freed him from the wrap and sat him in my lap. "You love the doggies, don't you, Teddy Bear?"

He squealed and reached for Jack.

"Hang on, little man." Jack set his sandwich on a napkin and took our son from me.

I rifled through the diaper bag and pulled out a wipe. "For his nose." I held it out to Jack.

I sighed contentedly as I watched them interact, thankful that I had found a man who was a wonderful husband _and_ father. It solidified the decision that I had made earlier in the day.

Jack glanced up and met my eyes. "What's going on in that beautiful head of yours?"

"Nothing. Just thinking about how lucky Teddy and I are to have you."

He nudged my leg with his foot. "We're lucky to have _you_." He stopped me before I could roll my eyes. "I'm serious, Elizabeth. I couldn't ask for a better person to be my wife and the mother of my child. You're perfect for us."

I felt my cheeks flush. I had been with Jack for over a year and a half, and he could still make me blush at the drop of a hat.

He grinned at me, flashing his dimples. "Have I ever told you how beautiful you are when you blush?"

At that, I felt my cheeks heat even more. "I'm glad you think that since I blush at everything."

Teddy grunted, bringing our attention back to him. He kicked his legs against the blanket and brought his fist to his mouth. Before Jack could ask me, I had the bottle in front of him.

"You sure you don't want to feed him?"

I nodded. "I do way more feedings than you do. I brought the bottle so you could feed him this time."

He settled Teddy in his arm, and he happily took the bottle, his chubby little fingers trying to wrap around it.

"It won't be long before he'll be able to feed himself."

I groaned. "Don't remind me. In my mind, he's going to stay little forever."

"I wish that was how it worked, too." He looked back down at our son, who was staring at Jack's fingers on the bottle while he filled his belly. "This picnic was a good idea, Beth."

"I just want us all to have good memories together."

"And that's why you're perfect for us."

...

"He's fast asleep." Jack dropped his bathrobe and stepped into the tub, sitting behind me with his legs on either side of me. "He seemed to be less congested than he was earlier today."

"That's good." I rested my hands on his knees. "He and I had a little conversation this morning."

"Mm, really?" Jack slipped his arms around me and pulled me to his chest. "About what?"

"Halloween."

"What about Halloween? Costumes and candy and stuff?"

"No." I took a deep breath. "I decided that you and I can start trying for another baby around Halloween. The likelihood of getting pregnant will go up once Teddy isn't nursing as much, and he should be on some solid foods by then."

"So we could be expecting another baby by Thanksgiving?"

"In theory, yes. It may not happen as quickly this time, though."

"Yes, getting pregnant in the first week of our marriage was very quick. But who knows? We obviously can't plan how quickly it'll happen."

I laughed softly. "Touché. Our last baby plans didn't really go as expected."

"You don't regret that we didn't have more time just the two of us?"

"No. I believe that Teddy was supposed to come to us exactly when he did."

He kissed the top of my head, and I could feel him smile against my hair. "I can't wait to see you pregnant again. You're always beautiful, but goodness, when you're carrying my baby…" He splayed his fingers across my bare stomach. "It's even better than seeing you in that blue dress."

"Wow, that's saying a lot. You love me in that blue dress." I laced my fingers through his.

"I love you in anything," he leaned in, his breath tickling my ear, "or _nothing_ , like right now." His hands found my hips, somehow pulling me even closer.

"Jack Thornton!" I reached back to smack his arm lightly, splashing water on the floor in the process. "You'd better behave."

He laughed and tightened his arms around me. "And what if I don't?" He kissed the soft skin behind my ear.

"I don't know. I'll make you sleep on the couch. Isn't that what wives are supposed to do to punish their husbands?"

"I think that would be a punishment for you, too." He continued kissing down my neck and across my shoulder. "You've told me on multiple occasions that you don't sleep well without me."

"You got me there."

His fingers ghosted up my arms, and I shivered. "Are you sure you want to wait until Halloween to start trying?"

I nodded. "Yes. But that doesn't mean we can't have some fun in the meantime." I turned to kiss his cheek.

He brought his lips to my mouth. "I'm all for having fun."

...

I woke with my head tucked against Jack's shoulder. He held my left hand in his, rubbing the rings with his thumb.

"Good morning, Beth." He lifted my hand to his lips, kissing my fingers softly.

"Mm." I scooted forward to kiss him. "Good morning. How long have you been up?"

"Not long." He brushed a strand of hair from my face and smiled. "It's been over a year, but sometimes I still can't believe that you're actually my wife. I keep thinking that one of these days I'll wake up and realize it's all been an elaborate dream."

"Do I need to pinch you to prove you're not dreaming?"

He laughed and shook his head, rubbing his nose against my cheek. "Don't you dare."

"Well, I promise you aren't dreaming. This is real." I pressed my lips to his.

When I pulled back, his eyes were closed, and his lips were turned up in a smile. "Sure feels like a dream." He placed his hand on my cheek, lightly, lovingly. "You know, your talk of Halloween last night got me thinking that we need to start narrowing down options for little man's first Halloween costume."

I laughed. "Okay, so now we're changing the subject."

"Sorry, it just popped into my head. I was thinking a hockey player would be cute."

"No sir. My son is not going to wear a Canucks jersey. William Thatcher wouldn't allow it. Honestly, I'm surprised he let me marry a Canucks fan."

"It's probably because nobody can resist the Thornton charm." He winked. "Also, I never said it would be a Canucks uniform."

"So, a Blues jersey, then?"

"I didn't say that, either." He chuckled. "On second thought, maybe a hockey player isn't a good idea. We don't want to start any arguments between us or our families."

"Wasn't your dad a Mountie? I think that would make a pretty cute costume."

"Oh my goodness, yes, with the little hat. That's perfect. He'll be the cutest little Mountie there's ever been."

"Cutest Mountie," I kissed him softly, "with the cutest dad." I locked my eyes with his, brushing my thumb across the stubble on his cheek.

"What are you thinking about?"

"I'm trying to imagine what you'd look like in a Mountie hat. I think you could pull it off."

"I have my dad's somewhere. My mom gave it to me after he died."

I gasped. "How could you keep that from me? Where is it? I want to see you wear it."

He laughed. "I think it's in the closet in the guest room. I don't think I ever unpacked the box it's in."

"Go get it!"

"I will after church. We're going to be late if we don't start getting ready soon."

I stuck out my bottom lip, pretending to pout. "Please? It'll take two minutes."

"Fine. But you have to get out some clothes for me while I look for it."

I grinned and gave him a quick kiss. "You're the best, Jack Thornton."

He hopped out of bed and headed down the hall to the guest room. I could hear him rummaging around in the closet while I pulled out some clothes for us.

He returned a couple of minutes later, the hat already perched on his head.

I ran my fingers along the brim. "It's a shame we don't have Mounties in Oklahoma. You look very handsome in that hat, babe. It especially goes well with your pajamas."

"Except it gets in my way when I want to kiss you."

"That _is_ a serious drawback." I lifted the hat from his head and pressed my lips to his. "Okay, I'll let you get ready for church now. But I might want you to put that on again later. And maybe you can wear it the next time we go riding."

He chuckled. "I'm starting to regret telling you that I had this."

"You love me."

He wrapped his arms around me. "I do love you. A whole lot. Even when you're begging me to wear a Mountie hat."

"It's your fault for looking so good in it." I winked and kissed him again. "I love you."


	43. Chapter 43

Rosemary answered the door. "Well hello, godmother. And where are the Thornton men this afternoon?" She ushered me into the house.

"We had a little incident with Teddy spitting up _and_ his diaper leaking all at once. Jack offered to bathe him so I could still come help set up. They'll be over in a little while."

"He's such a good dad."

"He is." I smiled. "So is Lee. We both got lucky, didn't we?"

"That we did."

Alina toddled up to me and raised her arms. "Bet. Up."

"Hi, sweet girl." I lifted her from the floor, and she grinned at me. "So, I'm Auntie Bet now?"

"I guess you are." Rosemary brushed her thumb across her daughter's cheek. "You love your Auntie Beth, don't you?"

Though Alina had looked just like Lee at birth, she was beginning to show more similarities to Rosemary as she got older. Her dark hair had lightened considerably, now much closer to blonde. Her wide smile and toothy grin were also clearly inherited from her mother.

I carried her through the house, following Rosemary to the backyard. "How is she already a year old?"

"I have no idea. It's like I blinked and suddenly she's a toddler."

"I know what you mean. Teddy's almost four months old, and it feels like it was just yesterday that he was born."

Alina squirmed in my arms, and I lowered her to the ground. She took unsteady steps across the grass until she reached Lee, who was hanging a banner along the fence.

"What can I help with?"

"Balloons need to be filled, cupcakes need to be decorated, fruit needs to be sliced."

"I can do balloons." I chuckled. "I'm least likely to mess that up."

...

A few hours later, the party was winding down. Alina had opened all of her presents and had her first taste of cake. Rosemary was carrying her around the yard, giving everyone a few minutes with the birthday girl. I excused myself and quietly entered the house.

Jack was sitting on the sofa, Teddy sleeping against his shoulder.

I smiled. "There are my guys. I was wondering where you ran off to. Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah." He stood carefully, ensuring that Teddy didn't wake. "Should we say bye?" He nodded toward the back door.

I shook my head. "I already did. I told them we needed to get Teddy home. They said thank you for coming."

He followed me out the door and across the lawn toward our house. "I can't believe she's already a year old."

I tucked my hand in his arm. "Me neither. Remember the first time you held her?" I thought back to that day, how he was so gentle with her, how natural he looked with a tiny baby in his arms. "That was when I knew you'd be the best father."

"It's crazy to think that little man already existed then and we had no idea." He kissed the top of Teddy's head while I unlocked the front door. "Crazy to think we could have another one soon." He raised his eyebrows.

"Maybe. We still aren't trying until Halloween, though. So, if that was your attempt to convince me to change the timeline, good effort, but no." I smirked.

"Wow, and I thought I was being subtle." He chuckled.

"Subtlety is not your strong suit, babe."

...

Cody tapped Abigail on the shoulder. "Mom, can I go outside with Mr. Coulter and Mr. Flynn?"

"Sure, Cody. Stay out of the street, though."

"I will, mom. Thanks!" He hurried out the back door behind Lee and Jesse.

Abigail stood. "So, who wants some tea?"

"I'll take some." I shifted Teddy in my lap as he dozed.

She excused herself to ready the tea in the kitchen.

"Oh, before I forget to tell you ladies, I had my twenty-week ultrasound the other day." Clara smiled as she pulled an ultrasound photo from her bag. "We found out we're having a little girl. Her name is Ally Mae Flynn." She passed the picture around the room.

"Oh, congratulations, Clara." Rosemary smiled as she looked closely at the picture.

"That's a lovely name."

"Jesse actually chose it." She placed her hand on her stomach.

"You know, Faith, this means you and Carson need to have a boy to even it out again." Rosemary raised her eyebrows.

A flush rose in her cheeks. "Oh goodness, it's only been a year since we started dating. If we have kids, and that's _if_ , it probably won't be for a while."

I almost reminded her that, a year after Jack and I started dating, I was already five months pregnant with Teddy.

"You do realize that you're sitting in a room with three women who got pregnant when they weren't planning it."

"Four." Abigail set down a tray full of teacups. "Noah and I weren't trying when I got pregnant with Peter."

"Okay, what birth control have you all been using? Because clearly, I'll want to use something different."

We all chuckled.

...

"Well hello, my sweet boy. Did you have a good nap?" Teddy grinned up at me from his crib. "What do you say we get you fed and changed into your costume?"

I settled into the glider to feed him.

"We're going to dress you like a Mountie. That's what your grandpa Thornton did for his job. Your daddy would probably be a Mountie if he still lived in Vancouver."

I brushed back his hair, and he stretched his arm toward my face.

"You're my favorite little guy, Jack Edward. I'm so glad you're ours."

"I'm glad he's ours, too."

I looked up and met Jack's eyes. "Hi."

"Hi." He came over and kissed the top of my head. "You never call him Jack."

I shrugged. "Sometimes I do. It _is_ his name, after all." I pulled him to me and kissed him softly. "How was work?"

He knelt down beside the chair and gently stroked Teddy's cheek. "Lots of paperwork, so it was pretty boring. How was Sunday lunch?"

"Good. Clara and Jesse found out they're having a girl. They're naming her Ally."

"That's great."

I laughed quietly. "And now Rosemary is trying to convince Faith to have a boy to even things out again."

Jack chuckled. "Well, maybe our next one will be another boy."

Teddy turned away, and I passed him to Jack.

"A few more days until Halloween, and then we can start trying. It's up to you to make it a boy." I winked and traded places with him, so he could burp Teddy.

"Way to put all the pressure on me." He laughed.

I rifled through Teddy's closet and pulled out his Halloween costume. "Are you sure you're up to going tonight? You've got to be exhausted after working all weekend."

"Well, you've convinced me that Teddy's too young for trick-or-treating, so this Halloween festival is my only chance for matching father-son costumes."

I laughed and shook my head. "Our kids are probably going to be so happy that you love Halloween. I don't even remember the last time I dressed up."

"You're dressing up today, though. Aren't you?"

I nodded. "Only for you, babe."

"Are you going to tell me what your costume is?"

"No, sir. You'll find out soon enough."

He pretended to pout. "Fine. I think little man is in need of a fresh diaper, and I need to go get changed." He held the baby out in front of him.

I took Teddy from him as he pressed a kiss to my cheek and headed down the hall.

Teddy squirmed on the changing table as I changed his diaper and replaced his onesie with the little Mountie costume.

"We were right, Jack. He really _is_ the cutest Mountie ever." I finished buttoning up the costume and turned toward Jack.

He stood in the doorway, wearing his father's dress uniform.

"Wow." I had always had a thing for a man in uniform, and seeing Jack standing there, I was almost speechless.

"Do I look silly?" He straightened his arms out in front of him and flexed his fingers.

I shook my head. "Not at all. You look very handsome, Jack Thornton. So handsome, in fact, that I may make you wear that forever."

He chuckled and tugged at the collar of the Serge. "Maybe not forever. I don't think this would be the most comfortable outfit to sleep in."

"We should get a picture of you in that to send to your mom."

"I think somewhere she has a picture of me in it when I was little, the sleeves dragging the ground and the hat covering my eyes."

I scooped Teddy off the changing table. "We'll have to look for it next time we visit." I shifted Teddy so he was leaning against my chest, facing out into the room. "Look at your daddy, Teddy Bear. He matches you. You both look so handsome."

Jack took our son from me and snuggled him close. It was an adorable sight, both of them in red, grins on their faces revealing their matching dimples.

"Now that is an image that I wouldn't mind seeing forever."

"Well, then take a picture and then you need to get into your costume, whatever that is."

I snapped a quick photo of them on my phone and sent it to Charlotte before traipsing down the hall to get dressed.

I sifted through Jack's side of the closet until I found what I was looking for, and I slipped the shirt on over my gray tank top.

I peeked into the hallway. "Are you still in the nursery?"

"We're downstairs."

I stood at the top of the stairs. "Put Teddy down and close your eyes."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

"Fine." He huffed, and I heard him snap Teddy into the bouncy seat. "They're closed."

"Okay, now you know I'm not big into Halloween, so you can't get mad that this costume isn't anything extravagant." I stopped directly in front of him and touched his cheek. "Open."

He blinked, slowly taking in my outfit. "My Canucks jersey?"

I shrugged. "It was the scariest thing I could think of." I winked and pressed my lips to his cheek. "One of these days, I'll convert you to a Blues fan."

"How about this? I'll root for the Blues if they ever make it to the Stanley Cup finals."

"I'm going to hold you to that." I stood on my toes and kissed him. "Now let's get going. We need to show off our little Mountie."

...

"Well, aren't you three just adorable?" Abigail pulled me into a hug. "May I?" She held out her arms, and I passed Teddy to her.

"I'm going to find Lee." Jack kissed my cheek and headed off toward the games.

I tilted my head as I watched him walk away, a smile hinting on my lips.

Abigail gave me a knowing grin. "So, you like him in that uniform, huh?"

My cheeks reddened. "Very much. We picked Teddy's costume first, and then Jack decided to match him. I'm normally not big into Halloween, but I could get on board if he wore that every year."

She chuckled. "Come on, let's go show off your little man."

We found Jack with Lee, Rosemary, and Alina, who were dressed as a knight, a princess, and a dragon, respectively.

"Oh my goodness, I think that might be the cutest baby costume I've ever seen." Rosemary reached over and touched Teddy's cheek.

"I don't know, Alina makes a very cute little dragon."

She grinned at me, then tucked her head into her mom's shoulder.

"It's crazy to think that next year, there'll be another little one in the competition for cutest costume."

Jack met my gaze and raised his eyebrows, and I knew he was thinking the same thing I was. _Maybe two more_.

"Speaking of, where are Clara and Jesse?"

Abigail shifted Teddy to her other shoulder. "Clara wasn't feeling well, so they decided to stay home."

"Oh. Is everything okay?"

"She's fine, just really sore."

"I remember those days." Rosemary chuckled. "It's a good thing babies are so cute, because growing them is not easy." She rubbed her nose against Alina's cheek, eliciting a giggle.

Jack reached over and squeezed my hand. He was so ready for another baby.

...

I grinned when I stepped into the bedroom and saw that Jack was still partly in his father's uniform. "You took off the jacket but not the hat?"

"Well, I wanted to give you one last look at me in it." He smirked. "Did Teddy go down fine?"

"Mhmm. He's fast asleep." I slowly walked toward him. "You know, I wouldn't mind if you wore this uniform more often. Maybe we should move to Canada." I grabbed his suspenders and pulled him closer, brushing my lips against his chin. "You'd make a great Mountie. Plus, you already have the horse."

"I haven't taken you out on Sergeant in a while. We should do that soon."

"Only if you wear this." I ran my fingers along the brim of the hat and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "I just can't get over how good you look in it."

He slipped his arms around my waist. "Not as good as you look in my Canucks jersey."

I pulled away from him and turned slowly. "Take a nice long look now, because I'm never wearing this again. I think my family would disown me if they knew I was wearing it right now."

He laughed, removing the hat and pulling me in for another kiss. "Well, we can't have that, can we?" He reached for the hem and inched it upward.

I placed my hands on his. "Let's make a baby, Jack."

Confusion flashed across his face. "It's not Halloween yet."

I shrugged. "Close enough."

...

I woke when Jack pressed his lips to my shoulder.

"Good morning, beautiful."

I rolled over to face him, resting my hands on his chest. "Morning, babe."

"We might have made a baby last night, Beth."

"Maybe." I kissed him softly. "But remember it might not happen as quickly this time. It could be a few months."

"Well, we'll just have to keep trying, then." He grinned and kissed me deeply, his fingers dancing across my waist.

"Jack," I pushed him away, "as much as I would love to, we can't try right now. We have work. And a son who's going to want to be fed as soon as he wakes up, which should be in about," I glanced over at the clock, "two minutes."

"Two minutes? That's very specific."

"Just wait." I pulled his arms around me. "Our son is very punctual. Haven't you noticed?"

He laughed and kissed my hair. "Well, he didn't get that from me."

Almost exactly two minutes later, the baby monitor crackled and Teddy could be heard whimpering.

"How did you do that?"

"Magic." I gave him a quick kiss and slipped out of bed to tend to our son.


	44. Chapter 44

A/N Thanks for your patience with this story and for all your kind comments!

...

I laughed when I walked into the kitchen. "Babe, please tell me you're planning to change before everyone gets here."

"What? You don't like this?" He closed the oven and turned slowly, showing off his outfit which consisted of nothing but boxers and an apron.

"I do like it, but _I'm_ the only one who should get to see you like this." I put my hands on his arms and stood on my toes to kiss him.

"You can't even talk. This isn't appropriate Thanksgiving attire, either." He slipped his fingers under my robe, brushing across my bare shoulder. He leaned toward me, his breath tickling my ear as he quietly spoke. "Although I'm very thankful for it."

"I'm glad, since I got it for you."

"Where's Teddy?"

"I just put him down for his nap."

He kissed my cheek. "And we still have a few hours before everyone will get here, right?"

"Mhmm." I slid my arms around his back and started untying the apron.

"What do you say we go make another baby?"

I smiled and kissed him more deeply. "You read my mind."

...

"Elizabeth, we need to get up." Jack kissed the top of my head and started to move.

"Mm, but I'm so comfortable." I snuggled into his chest, tucking my head beneath his chin.

"I know, but we need to start getting the rest of the food ready, and Teddy will be up soon, and the dogs probably need to go out."

"So many excuses. It doesn't sound like the dogs or Teddy need our attention right now, and there will be plenty of time to finish the food later." I tilted my head up to press my lips to his. "Just a few more minutes. Please?"

"Fine. A few more minutes. Just because you're adorable." He brushed his fingers through my hair. "But then we really do need to get up."

"I know." As we lay there, I started dozing off.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Bronte let out a deep bark and ran from the nursery down to the front door, startling Teddy awake.

"Of course, someone's early." I jumped out of bed and started throwing clothes on. I tossed a shirt and a pair of jeans to Jack. "We told everyone to come at noon, right? Who's here already?"

He finished buttoning up his shirt. "I'll go see." As he walked out, I noticed that his hair was sticking up.

"Babe, your hair!" I spoke up too late, and he was already halfway down the stairs.

I ran a brush through my own hair and padded across the hall to check on Teddy, who was now fully awake and crying.

"Hi, Teddy Bear." I lifted him to my shoulder, and his cries quieted to whimpers. "I'm sorry that your nap got interrupted. How about we go see who's here?"

I carried him down the hall and stopped at the top of the stairs when I heard Jack talking to his mother.

"What's going on with your hair, son?"

"Oh, uh, well, we weren't expecting anyone until noon, so Elizabeth and I were just resting for a bit while Teddy napped."

"Uh huh. _Resting_. A few of your buttons are in the wrong holes, too." I heard her set down her bag. "I interrupted something, didn't I?"

My face burned as I waited for Jack to answer. "Oh, Teddy Bear," I whispered. "This is so embarrassing. How about we just stay up here for a little while?"

"Mom! I already told you, we were just resting."

"Whatever you say. Just let me know when there's another grandbaby on the way."

"Mom, please, whatever you do, don't make comments like this to Elizabeth."

"Okay, son. I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable."

"Speaking of Elizabeth, I'm going to see what she's up to."

"Run a comb through your hair while you're up there," she called after him.

I hurried back to the nursery, settling into the glider before Jack discovered that I overheard the whole conversation. I shifted Teddy to eat when he started sucking on his fist.

"Hi." Jack appeared in the doorway. "What's going on in here?"

"Nothing much. Teddy decided he was hungry, so we thought we'd stay up here for a while."

He raised his eyebrows. "Mhmm, sure. You're using our son as an excuse to hide from my mom."

"Maybe a little."

"You heard what she was saying?" He made his way across the room and knelt beside the glider.

I nodded. "It's so embarrassing, Jack. Our parents shouldn't know these things about us."

"I hate to break it to you, Beth, but the fact that our son exists means that _everyone_ knows that we've done more than just kiss." He stroked the top of Teddy's head.

"You're not helping, babe."

He chuckled and kissed my temple. "Sorry. I did ask her not to say anything to you, though, so hopefully she'll actually listen to me. And if you bring Teddy down there, she'll probably forget all about it."

"That's a good point. Tell her I'll be down as soon as Teddy's finished."

"On it." He kissed me softly.

"Comb your hair before you go back down, though."

"Right." I could hear him laugh as he walked down the hall.

...

"Okay, Teddy Bear. Time to go see grandma Charlotte." I lifted him off of the changing table. "Now, you better do a good job distracting her by being extra cute so she doesn't say more things to embarrass me or your daddy."

She greeted me as soon as I came down the stairs. "Hi, Lizzy." She pulled me into a hug, being careful not to squish Teddy.

"Hi, Charlotte. It's good to see you."

"I'm sorry for showing up early. I was just eager to see my grandson." She smiled and held out her hands for Teddy. He gladly went to her.

"I don't blame you. He's pretty great."

"Hello, sweet boy. You just look exactly like your daddy, don't you?" She stroked his cheek, and he giggled. "I swear, it's like déjà vu with this little one. Just like baby Jack all over again."

We both looked over at Jack, and he rolled his eyes.

"Hey, you should be happy that he looks like you. No one can deny that he's yours."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Charlotte, are you okay holding him for a while? I need to get started on dessert."

"I'm happy to hold him all day long." She smiled as she settled into the chair with her grandson.

"I'll be in to help in a minute." Jack kissed my cheek and nudged me toward the kitchen.

I put on an apron and turned on some music on my phone before I pulled out all of the ingredients. I found the worn-out recipe card for gooey butter cake—though I could probably make it in my sleep.

"Hey, that's my apron."

I chuckled. "Every apron in this house belongs to you, babe. I think you can afford to let me borrow one every once in a while."

"Fine. But only because you look so good in it." He slid his arms around my waist, kissing the side of my neck. "I like this music. Is this the guy who sings that Christmas song?"

"'The guy who sings that Christmas song?' I assume you mean _It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year_ , and yes, this is Andy Williams."

He shifted his hands to my arms and turned me to face him. "Dance with me."

"I need to get this dessert made."

"It can wait." He took my right hand in his left, resting his other hand on the small of my back. He leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. "I love you, Beth."

I smiled and moved closer to him, closing the space between us as we swayed in the middle of the kitchen. "I love you, too."

We were quiet for a few more minutes as we slowly turned together, until the song ended.

He pulled back from me. "I have some news, Beth."

"Please don't tell me you have to leave again."

"No." He kissed my forehead. "I figured with the kids here, we'll probably go around the dinner table saying what we're thankful for, and I want to tell you first. Remember that promotion I was telling you about a few months back? The one with fewer out-of-town assignments?"

"You got it?"

He grinned and nodded. "I got it."

"Jack!" I threw my arms around his neck, and he lifted me off the ground briefly.

"I might still have to go out of town sometimes, but it won't be as often, and it won't be for weeks at a time. Plus," he brushed his lips against mine, "I get a raise, which is always a good thing. Especially if we might have another little one soon." He slipped his hands down to my hips, his thumbs rubbing against my stomach out of habit. "You aren't hiding anything from me, are you? You still aren't…?"

I shook my head. "Not yet, but we've only been trying for a month. It'll happen when it's supposed to."

"I can't wait." He kissed me again. "Now," he stepped away and grabbed an apron from the hook, "what are we making in here?"

...

Abigail and I shuffled around the kitchen, trying to make sure that all of our dishes were ready to go into the oven.

"I hope this is enough for everyone." Abigail looked over the pans of food sitting on the counter.

"It should be plenty. Don't forget there are some things already in the oven, and Rosemary is bringing over sweet potatoes and green bean casserole."

"I heard my name." Rosemary entered the kitchen, placing a bag on the counter. "I also brought some mashed sweet potatoes for Alina, and there's a little extra if you want to give some to Teddy."

"Thank you. He's been refusing solid food the times we've tried it, but maybe today will be the day he changes his mind about it."

Abigail wiped her hands on her apron. "Okay, I think everything just needs to go in the oven, and we should be ready to eat around four."

"Sounds good."

After fitting as much as we could into the oven, we all headed into the living room. Clara and Becky were playing cards around the coffee table. Alina was sitting on the floor, trying to play with Rip, who was just stretched out and trying to rest. Charlotte was still snuggling Teddy against her shoulder; he was whimpering quietly, fighting sleep.

"Where are the guys?"

Clara glanced up. "Outside."

Abigail stayed in the living room, while Rosemary and I headed to the backyard.

Jack, Lee, and Jesse were running around with Cody, tossing a football back and forth. Bronte was chasing them, tail wagging hard.

Jack looked up when he heard the door close. "Dinner ready?"

"Not yet. Everything just went in the oven. Abigail said it should be ready by four."

Lee glanced at his watch. "Okay. Thanks for letting us know."

...

"Who's ready for dessert?" Rosemary started clearing empty plates.

A collective groan sounded around the table.

"I don't think I can eat anything for a week." Jack put his hands on his stomach and let out a breath.

I nudged him. "More gooey butter cake for the rest of us, then."

"Did I say a week? I meant twenty minutes."

Teddy started fussing in Clara's arms. "Oh, honey, what's wrong?"

"He's probably tired. He hasn't napped much today with everything going on. I'll take him up to his room, see if he'll sleep with fewer distractions around."

I took my son from her and headed up to the nursery.

"Hi, Teddy Bear. Are you just a little overwhelmed today? There are a lot of people down there. And I know you're sleepy." I sank into the glider and held him against me. "Are you hungry, too? Someday, you'll decide that solid food isn't all that bad, but for now, you still have me." I smiled and stroked his cheek.

He quieted down when I settled him in to eat. I sang softly until he was finished eating and fast asleep.

By the time I came down the stairs, everyone had moved out of the dining room.

I took a seat on the arm of the chair beside Jack.

"How's little man?"

"Sleeping with a full belly."

"Good." He slipped his arm behind me, rubbing my back. "I can't believe his first Thanksgiving is almost over already."

"But then we get to start planning his first Christmas, his first New Year," I leaned over, my lips brushing against his ear, "and when we have another little one, we'll get to do the first holidays all over again."

"What are you two whispering about over there?" Rosemary shifted Alina in her arms as she spoke.

"Nothing. Just talking about how crazy it is that last Thanksgiving, we were just starting to tell people about Teddy, and now he's already five and a half months old."

"It does go by so quickly." She touched Alina's cheek. "Take note, Clara. Enjoy every moment."

Clara looked at Jesse and smiled, dropping her hand to her stomach.

"You know," Abigail glanced around the room at everyone, "we all have a lot to be thankful for this year."

...

Charlotte was the last of our guests to leave.

"Thank you for inviting me."

"Of course, mom." Jack hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"We'll try to bring Teddy into the city to visit you soon."

"I would love that." She put her arms around me. "And next time I come by, I'll be sure to call, so you won't have to worry about being interrupted."

"Ma!"

She shrugged. "What? I'm just trying to make sure it doesn't happen again." She touched his cheek. "I'll see you soon."

As soon as she was gone, I sank onto the sofa.

"Your mom is never going to let us live that down, is she?" I covered my face with a throw pillow.

"Probably not." He chuckled and pulled the pillow off of me. "At least she didn't _actually_ interrupt anything."

"That doesn't make it any better, babe. She still believes she _did_."

"Well, if it ever happens again, we're just going to stay in bed and pretend we aren't home." He kissed my cheek.

"Good plan."

"I'm just glad she didn't relay the story to everyone else. That would've made for a very interesting Thanksgiving."

"Can you imagine if it had been Rosemary at the door? She would've told everyone else as soon as they arrived."

He laughed. "We'd probably have to move if that ever happened."

I leaned in and kissed him. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He offered his hand to help me up. "Let's go check on our boy."


	45. Chapter 45

A/N Hang on tight, this chapter is a bit of an emotional roller coaster.

...

Jack and I sat on the floor beside the Christmas tree. Teddy was crawling around, giggling as he followed Bronte across the rug. He had just figured out how to move a few days before, and it seemed like he hadn't stopped moving since.

Our open presents were strewn across the room. One of the Andy Williams records that Jack had given to me was spinning on the record player, soft music filling the room.

"Come here." He stood and offered his hand.

He pulled me against his chest, his hands settling on my waist. I hooked my arms behind his neck.

We slowly rocked back and forth. "Did you get me these records just so you could dance with me?"

"Maybe a little." He smirked.

"Merry Christmas, Jack."

He leaned in and kissed my nose. "Merry Christmas, Beth."

"I have one last gift for you." I pulled away from him and picked up a small package that had been hidden behind the tree.

"I don't need anything else."

"Trust me. You'll like this one." The corners of my mouth turned up, knowing what he was going to find when he lifted the lid.

Teddy stopped crawling, glancing between us as Jack peeled the paper from the box.

I felt tears form in my eyes at the sight of my husband and son. I thought about the new life growing within me, the baby that Jack would learn about in just a few moments.

He held the test in his hand, trying to comprehend what he was looking at. He slowly lifted his eyes, meeting my gaze. "Is this…? Are you…are we…?" He took a breath. "Another baby?"

I nodded, tears spilling down my cheeks. He dropped the test and brought his hand to my cheek.

"Oh, Beth. We're having another baby! This is the best Christmas present you could ever give me."

"Well, technically, you had something to do with this, too."

He grinned. "That's right. How long have you known?"

"Two weeks. It's been so difficult to keep from you, but I thought it'd be more fun to break the news this way. I think I'm about five weeks now, but we can find out for sure in a couple of weeks at my first ultrasound."

He kissed me softly, brushing his fingers across my stomach. "Hi, baby. I'm your daddy. I can't wait to meet you."

"I don't want to say anything to our families yet, okay? I want it just between us for now."

He gave me a crooked smile. "Our little secret." He covered my stomach with his hand. "Are we going to make it a habit of giving baby news on Christmas? Last Christmas, we told your parents about Teddy."

"Well, as much as I love you and our babies," I placed my hand on his, "I don't think I want to be pregnant every single Christmas."

He chuckled. "Just some Christmases, then." He leaned in to kiss me again. "Another baby. I love you so much, Beth."

...

We pulled into my parents' driveway in the early evening.

"Remember, no mention of the baby."

"Right." He reached across the center console and squeezed my hand, a grin covering his face. "Let's go."

I lifted the car seat from the back seat. Teddy was sound asleep.

My mother greeted us at the door, quietly ushering us into the house. My father was sitting in his chair, reading the paper just like always. Viola and Lionel were on the couch, little George snuggled up between them.

We greeted everyone and made our way up to my childhood bedroom. I smiled as I took Teddy out of his car seat.

"I carried so many baby dolls around this room. This is so much better." I kissed the top of his head.

Jack put down our bags and kissed me softly. "Next Christmas, there'll be one for each of us to hold."

"I can't wait." I kissed him back. "Let's go see what we can find for dinner."

...

Julie arrived home later that evening, having spent the day with her boyfriend's family.

I sipped my tea while she told me all about him.

"He's getting his degree in journalism. He wants to work for a newspaper. And he's a total nerd. You should see him talk about Star Wars. It's adorable."

"Wow, I've never seen you talk about a guy like this before."

"I know we've only been together for four months, but I think he might be the one. I can imagine a real future with him: a house in the suburbs, babies." She cuddled Teddy closer. "Speaking of, are you and Jack going to have more, or is Teddy it for you guys?"

I took all of my willpower not to tell her I was already pregnant again. "We'll have more eventually. I don't know how many. Jack wants five."

"Five?!" She woke Teddy with her outburst, and he started fussing. "Oops." She started bouncing him gently.

I laughed softly. "Yeah, I don't expect we'll have that many, especially if they're all big like Teddy. I don't know how many more times I could do that."

"He is a very big boy." She smiled down at him, and he settled down. "He's almost as big as George, and they're what? Ten months apart?"

I nodded. "About that, yes."

She stroked Teddy's cheek. "Well, I should let you get him to bed." She passed him to me. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night, Julie."

...

The following day, we had our family Christmas celebration. Teddy and George received more gifts than I could count, and we had an early dinner with all of our favorite dishes.

Julie surprised us all by inviting her boyfriend, and it was clear to all of us that this relationship was different from any she'd been in before.

Before we knew it, our visit was over, and Jack and I were packing everything up and heading back home with our son.

By some miracle, we had both been able to avoid breaking the news that I was pregnant.

...

It happened a few days after I returned to work for the spring semester.

I called Jack as soon as the last of my students had left for the day. Tears stung my eyes as I asked him to pick me up and take me to the hospital. I had been having some pains on and off throughout the day, and as the school day ended, I had started to bleed.

We were both silent on the drive. I held my stomach, praying that everything would be okay, even though my body was telling me otherwise.

As the technician prepared for the ultrasound, I remembered the scare we had before Teddy was born. Although everything had turned out fine then, this time felt different.

The silence in the room was deafening. I couldn't bring myself to look at the screen. Jack held my hand in both of his, tears pooling in his eyes.

When the technician finally spoke, her voice was soft. "I'm sorry."

I let out a sob, not hearing the rest of her sentence.

It made no sense that our baby was gone. It had only been four weeks since I first learned about the baby's existence, and two weeks since I told Jack.

It wasn't fair.

The doctor talked to us after, explaining everything that would happen over the next couple of weeks. I barely heard a word she said; my mind was still on the baby inside me, the baby we would never meet.

Jack kept his arm around me as we walked out to the car. He had spoken with the doctor, but he still hadn't spoken to me.

He kept the car in park, staring at his hands on the steering wheel. "Elizabeth." He looked up from his hands, meeting my eyes. I could barely see him through the tears. "Elizabeth, I wish I knew what to say."

With that, he started the car, and we pulled away from the hospital.

...

I curled up on the bed as soon as we got home. Jack headed next door to pick up Teddy. I heard him speaking quietly to our son as he gave him a bottle and put him down for a nap.

I was beginning to doze when I felt Jack lay down on the bed behind me. I jumped slightly when he reached his hands around my waist. I tried to pull away, but his arms tightened around me.

"Jack…"

"Please." His voice broke. "I just want to hold you."

I rolled over to face him, noticing the tears in his eyes waiting to fall. My heart melted knowing that he was hurting as much as I was. I tucked my head beneath his chin, allowing myself to relax into him.

Neither of us spoke. We let our tears fall in silence until we finally drifted off.

When I woke, Jack's eyes were on my face. He said nothing, but he leaned in and kissed my forehead.

...

I took a seat at my usual table, picking at the napkin in front of me. I glanced out the window. The cold rain matched my mood.

It had been a week since Jack and I had learned that our baby was gone.

"Elizabeth, it's good to see you." Abigail filled a mug with coffee and set it in front of me. I gave her a sad smile. "Are you feeling better? Jack mentioned that you haven't been feeling well lately."

I took a shaky breath. "Physically, I'm feeling better, but emotionally…" My voice trailed off, and tears filled my eyes.

Abigail took my hand and pulled me to the back room. "Hey, what's going on? Is everything okay?"

I shook my head, letting the tears roll down my cheeks. "I was pregnant. We found out last week that I lost the baby."

She pulled me into her arms. My body shook as I sobbed into her shoulder. It was comforting to be in her arms. If anyone understood loss, it was Abigail.

She had not only lost her child, but her husband as well.

"I'm so, so sorry, Elizabeth. How far along were you?"

I wiped my eyes. "Seven weeks. I had just told Jack on Christmas."

She invited me to sit down, not saying anything, just letting me continue.

"This one wasn't a surprise. We'd been trying again since October. We thought it would be nice for Teddy to have a sibling close to his age. I expected that it could take a little while to get pregnant, so I was really excited when it happened so quickly. But I never expected that we would lose the baby."

"No one expects that."

"It's like nothing makes sense right now. How am I so broken over this? I never felt this baby move, I never even heard a heartbeat. Other than the positive pregnancy test, there wasn't really any evidence that the baby even existed."

"Elizabeth," she put her hand on my back, rubbing gently, "of course this is affecting you. That was your baby, and knowing you, you fell in love the moment you suspected you were pregnant."

I nodded and wiped the tears from my cheeks. "Even before I took the test, I was already starting to think about names and imagining what life with two kids would be like."

"I'm so sorry you're going through this, Elizabeth. I wish there was something I could say to take away the hurt. You know I'm always here if you need to talk."

"I know." I took a deep breath. "I need to get to work. Thank you for being such a good friend, Abigail."

She hugged me tightly. "It will get easier. Someday."

...

Jack appeared in the doorway of the nursery while I was changing Teddy's diaper.

"Hi." He leaned against the door frame, his voice soft.

"Hi." I placed Teddy in the crib for his nap, grabbing the baby monitor as I stepped out of the room.

Jack followed me down the hall. "How are you?"

I shrugged, sinking down on our bed. "A little better, I guess. I talked to Abigail today. It gave me some perspective."

He sat beside me, pulling me into his arms. I leaned my head on his chest.

"She mostly just let me talk, but just knowing that she made it through the death of her husband and son helps me know that we can get through this."

He kissed the top of my head. "We can get through anything together."

We were both silent for a few minutes. I focused on the beating of his heart, allowing it to calm me.

"Jack?"

"Yes?" His arms tightened around me.

"I don't want to try again, at least for a little while. I know we both said we were ready for another baby, but I need some time after what happened."

"Of course. We can take whatever time you need. I need some time, too."

"Thank you." I leaned up and kissed him softly. "I'm so lucky to have you, Jack Thornton."

...

"Jack?" I whispered into the darkness, not knowing if he was even awake.

"Hm?" He rolled over and kissed my forehead. "What is it?"

"Do you think we should tell our parents? About the baby, I mean."

"Yes. I think we should. Tomorrow?"

"Mhmm." I scooted closer to him, leaning my head against his chest. "I miss the baby."

He slipped his hand down to my stomach. "So do I."

...

Jack took a seat beside me on the edge of the bed, holding his phone in one hand and resting his other hand on my hip. He dialed the number and put the phone on speaker.

"Hey, Jack. What's going on?"

"Mom, I need to tell you something, but I need you to let me get it all out before you say anything."

"Is everything okay, son?"

"Not so much." He took a deep breath. "A few weeks ago, we found out that Elizabeth was pregnant. We lost the baby last week."

We were met with silence.

"Mom? You still there?"

"I'm so, so sorry, Jack. Is Elizabeth there?"

"She's right here."

"Hi, Charlotte," my voice cracked.

"I'm so sorry, Lizzy. Losing a child is one of the greatest hurts in life—even a child you never met." The way she spoke was almost as if she knew from experience.

"Ma? Did you…?"

"We never told you or your brother, but we lost a baby between you two. You were just a baby yourself, so you wouldn't have known. I was about seven weeks along."

I choked back a sob. "I was seven weeks."

"It's hard, I know. You'll probably think of that baby for the rest of your life—what they would have looked like, who they would have grown up to be. Really the only thing that will help is time."

Jack spoke with her for a few more minutes, holding me as I cried into his chest.

Once he ended the call, he dialed my parents' number. He gave them the same news, and we all cried together.

A while later, I found myself in the nursery, feeding Teddy in the glider. It hurt knowing that his little brother or sister was gone, but I was so incredibly thankful to have him.

He seemed to know that something had been going on recently. He kept smiling at me as he ate, grazing his fingers along my chin.

"Sweet boy," I touched his cheek, "I love you so much."

"He's the best." Jack was standing in the doorway, holding something in his hands. "I have something for you." He crouched down beside the glider as I lifted Teddy to my shoulder. He flipped over the paper he carried, revealing an ultrasound photo. "I think you were in shock when they asked if we wanted pictures. I went ahead and got some. I hope that's okay."

Tears filled my eyes for what felt like the thousandth time that day. "Thank you, Jack."

...

A vase full of purple roses sat on the coffee table when I came home from work the next week. A smile spread across my lips. There was a note sitting beside the vase.

 _Teddy and I are running some errands. Get ready, it's date night when I get home. I love you, Beth._

With no idea how fancy this date was going to be, I changed into a light blue sweater and my black jeans. It wasn't until after I finished getting dressed that I realized I was wearing the exact same outfit that I wore on my first date with Jack.

"Hi."

His voice startled me. I hadn't heard him come in. "Hi."

Teddy squealed in his arms, grinning at me.

"You look great." He kissed my cheek.

"Thank you." A flush rose in my cheeks. "So, date night?"

"Mhmm. I thought we could use a night just the two of us."

"Are you going to tell me anything about this date?"

"Almost two years together, and you still think I'm going to give up my secrets just like that?" He smirked. "You know me better than that."

I shrugged. "It was worth a shot." Teddy reached for me, and I took him from Jack.

"Do you mind taking little man next door? I need to get changed."

"Okay."

When I returned, I discovered what Jack had planned. The lights were dimmed, and a few candles were flickering on the dining room table. He was dishing up two plates of food.

"You didn't say this was a date night at home."

He turned away from the counter. "I didn't say it was a date night out, either."

"You got me there."

He pulled out my chair, kissing me softly before I took a seat. "I ordered Italian."

"Extra breadsticks?"

"Obviously." He grinned and placed a plate of breadsticks in the center of the table.

"I love you, Jack. Thank you for doing this."

He put down our plates and took his own seat, reaching across the table to intertwine our fingers. "You deserve it, Elizabeth. I love you." He squeezed my hands once before releasing them. "Now, let's eat."

...

A/N I promise the next few chapters I have planned aren't anywhere near this sad, so please just stick with me :)


	46. Chapter 46

Jack and I sat across the table from Rosemary and Lee.

"So, you two are already Alina's godparents, so what would you say to being godparents to her little brother or sister?" Rosemary grinned.

"You're pregnant?"

"Mhmm." She nodded and brought her hand to her stomach. "Due in August."

I felt a lump in my throat as I was immediately reminded that I was no longer carrying a baby; I had no due date to look forward to. Jack squeezed my hand under the table. I fought the tears that started forming in my eyes.

"Elizabeth, are you okay? You can say no. We won't be upset."

I wiped my eyes, tears falling despite my struggle to keep them away. "I'm sorry. We would love to be your baby's godparents."

"Hey, Jack. How about we go check on the kids?" Lee ushered Jack out of the room, leaving me alone with Rosemary.

She leaned her elbows on the table. "Okay, what's going on, Elizabeth?"

"I was due in August."

"Was?"

I nodded. "We lost the baby a month ago. I was seven weeks along."

"Oh my goodness. I'm so sorry, Elizabeth. I had no idea." She reached for a box of Kleenex, pushing it toward me.

I shook my head. "We haven't told many people. The only people who know are our parents and Abigail. And now you." I took a tissue. "I'm sorry. Here you are with this wonderfully happy news, and I'm bringing the mood down."

"Don't apologize, Elizabeth. It's totally understandable that you would be feeling like this."

I wiped my eyes again and gave her a sad smile. "It would've been fun to be pregnant at the same time."

She nodded. "It would have."

I reached over and took her hand. "We really would be happy to be your baby's godparents."

"Are you sure?" She touched her hand to her stomach.

"Positive. I'm really happy for you, Rosemary." I sighed. "So, August. That makes you about three months along?"

"Yes, I'm almost fourteen weeks right now."

"How have you been feeling?"

"Not that great. It's definitely been more difficult this time around. I've been so sick, and I'm exhausted all the time. Lee's been having to do the grocery shopping because I can't handle the smell of the grocery store."

"At least you've had one before, so you know that all of this is worth it."

She nodded. "That's very true. I know that I'm very lucky to be able to carry a baby at all."

Tears filled my eyes once more.

"Oh, Elizabeth." She squeezed my hand. "I'm sure it'll happen for you, if you decide you want to try again."

"I know." I reached for another tissue. "That's what the doctor told us. She's actually cleared me to start trying again, but I just can't think about that right now. I know that it was nothing that I did, but there's still that little voice in the back of my head that says maybe I could've done something differently or that the same thing will happen the next time."

"Well, I'll be praying for you."

"Thank you, Rosemary."

...

I lowered Teddy into the crib, pushing back the hair from his forehead. "Sleep well, Teddy Bear."

As I quietly left the room, Bronte took her place in the nursery, curling up on the rug beside the crib.

Jack was just coming out of the bathroom when I entered our bedroom. He pulled off his shirt and settled on his side of the bed. I slipped under the quilt beside him.

"How are you, Beth?" He took my hand, rubbing gentle circles with his thumb. "I know their news wasn't easy for you to hear."

"I'm okay. I'm really happy for them, but this is going to be hard. Whenever I see her, I'm just going to think about how I should be there, too. Her due date is only two weeks before mine was. We should've been experiencing everything together, but now I'll just be reminded of all the things I don't get to do."

"I'm sorry."

I shook my head. "It's fine. I don't think I'll ever completely get over losing our baby, but things could be far worse. I just keep reminding myself that I'm lucky that I still have you and Teddy."

"And we're not going anywhere." He pulled me to his chest and kissed the top of my head.

"I love you, Jack."

"I love you, too."

He rubbed my back and hummed softly until I drifted off.

...

I walked into the nursery just as Jack was finishing getting Teddy dressed, doing up the buttons on his gray overalls. He sat him up on the changing table and bent down to his eye level.

"Now listen here, little man. It's Sunday again, which means we're going to church. You know what that means? You need to be quiet. Okay? You can talk as much as you want during lunch, but at church: quiet."

"Mamamama."

Jack gasped. "Did you just…?"

"Did he just…?"

Jack glanced over at me, a grin stretching across his face. Teddy had been babbling for months, but this was the first time he had ever put sounds together that sounded like an actual word.

"Mamamama."

Jack lifted Teddy from the changing table. "Did you just say 'mama?' Is that your mama?" He pointed at me.

"Can you say it again, Teddy Bear?" I took his hand in mine. "Can you say 'mama?'"

"Or, better yet, can you say 'dada?'" Jack looked at me with a smirk.

Teddy moved his gaze back and forth between me and Jack. "Mamamama."

I grinned. "That's right, Teddy Bear. I'm your mama." I tugged down the sleeves of his off-white, black-bear-covered onesie, then looked over at Jack. "You get to change all of his diapers today, by the way."

"And why is that?"

"Because you put him in a onesie _and_ overalls. You should've put him in a shirt instead of the onesie, and then you'd have one less layer to get through."

He chuckled. "Well, excuse me for trying to be nice and give you a little extra time this morning by dressing our son."

"And I'm very grateful for that." I kissed him softly. "But you still get all the diapers."

"Fine." He kissed me back. "We should get going."

...

I held Teddy in my lap, feeding him small pieces of a banana. He giggled at Cody, who was making faces at him from across the table.

Multiple conversations were happening around the table. Jack slipped his arm around my back as he talked to Carson. I sat quietly, watching everything happening around me.

Lee scooped up Alina when she toddled over to his chair. He met Rosemary's eyes and gave her a small nod.

She cleared her throat. "Um, Lee and I have something to tell all of you." She took Lee's hand and smiled. "We're having another baby in August."

"Oh, congratulations!"

"We really are going to outgrow the café quickly." Abigail chuckled and glanced around the room at Teddy, then Alina, then Clara, who was just about a month away from giving birth to baby Ally.

My heart tightened at the thought that they should have been celebrating with us, too; we should have been adding to that number.

Jesse nudged Carson. "You and Faith need to hurry it up, man."

Carson chuckled. "All in good time."

Faith spoke up. "Um, I guess this is a good time to break our news. We aren't trying to take away from your news," she glanced over at Rosemary and Lee, "but…" she lifted up her left hand, showing off a diamond ring that hadn't been there the week before.

"Oh my goodness!"

"This ring is beautiful." Rosemary grabbed Faith's hand, getting a closer look at the ring. "If you need any help with any of the planning, you know who to call."

"I think we have it all under control right now, but we'll definitely come to you if we need any help."

...

After Teddy was down for his afternoon nap, I settled on the sofa. I stared at the ultrasound photo in my hand, tracing the baby with my finger. It had been a month since the photo had been taken, since we learned that we would never meet our baby. Tears burned my eyes. That tiny human, barely the size of a blueberry, still had a hold on my heart.

"Beth?" Jack placed his hand on my shoulder. "Thinking about the baby?"

I nodded. "It's not fair."

He moved around the sofa, sinking down beside me. I leaned my head on his shoulder.

"Our friends keep making these big announcements, and we should be making one, too."

He laced his fingers with mine. "We'll have our turn soon."

"Not _that_ soon, though. I still want to wait a while."

"I know." He kissed my temple. "I want to wait, too. It'll happen when it's supposed to."

I sighed. "I hate it, Jack."

"What?"

I held up the ultrasound. "These pictures are really the only physical evidence we have that this baby existed. These and the pregnancy test. I just wish… I don't know. I wish there was something more."

"I'm sure we can figure something out."

...

Jack set a small box in my lap, taking a seat on the bed beside me.

"What's this?" I looked up at him.

"Nothing big. When you were saying that you wished there was something more to prove the baby existed, it got me thinking. I just thought maybe this would help us get some closure."

I lifted the lid from the box, revealing the three ultrasound photos of our baby and the pregnancy test that I had presented him with on Christmas.

"And this?" I removed an envelope from the box. Printed neatly on the outside was 'Baby Thornton.'

He shrugged. "I wrote a letter to the baby."

I ran my fingers along the edge of the envelope. "Did it help?"

"I think it did. Don't feel like you need to write one, though."

I shook my head. "I want to." I slipped my fingers into his hand. "Also, I've been thinking. I want to name the baby."

He squeezed my hand. "I think that's a great idea. Any thoughts so far?"

I nodded. "I kind of like Owen."

"Owen? What if the baby was a girl?"

I shrugged. "I know we didn't find out what it was, but I just had a feeling it was another boy. We can pick a different name if you don't like that. I just think Owen Thornton is cute."

"No, I like it. How about Owen Thatcher Thornton?"

"Perfect."

Jack put his hand on my face, his thumb stroking my cheek. "I miss him, Elizabeth." He leaned in, touching his forehead to mine. "I miss him."

"So do I." I pressed my lips to his. "Oh! I just remembered." I leaned over and reached into the drawer in my nightstand, pulling out the soft yellow hat. "I made this the same day I took the test, just like I did when I found out about Teddy." I gently placed the hat in the box. "I put it in my nightstand after…"

"Shh." Jack replaced the lid on the box and brushed his lips against my temple. "Now it's where it's supposed to be." He moved the box to his nightstand and pulled me to his chest. "We should get to sleep now. We both have work in the morning."

I nodded into his shoulder. "I love you, Jack."

"I love you, too."

He pulled the quilt over us, and I settled against him.

"Jack, I've also been thinking, if you haven't already planned something for the anniversary of our first date, we should go riding."

"I was actually thinking the same thing." He kissed my nose and chuckled. "Apparently we really were meant to be together."

"I can get a picnic dinner together, and I'll see if Becky can babysit."

"It's a date."

...

"Hey, Sarge." Jack rubbed the horse's nose. "You up for a ride today, buddy?"

I tucked our dinner into the saddle bag while he got the horse ready for our ride.

Jack kept his hands on my waist as I hopped up into the saddle. He slid in behind me, reaching around me to grab the reins.

"Ready?" He kissed my shoulder, and I nodded. "Let's go." He clicked his tongue and tapped Sergeant's sides with his heels.

He kept the horse at a slow walk as we navigated down the trail and toward the meadow he had taken me to the last time we had gone riding.

It was quiet as we rode, peaceful. Jack had one hand on the reins and one hand holding me tight to him, my back pressed against his chest.

Once we reached the meadow, he brought the horse to a halt and helped me out of the saddle.

"I love you, Beth." He kissed me soundly. "Thank you for saying yes to a date with a guy you barely knew." He grinned.

"I knew enough." I kissed him back, wrapping my arms around his waist. "I love you, Jack."

"Dance with me?"

"Always." I slipped my fingers into his outstretched hand.

We turned in slow circles in the middle of the meadow, the only music coming from the breeze blowing through the trees.

...

We lay beside each other on the picnic blanket, looking up at the sky as it changed colors with the setting sun. Jack squeezed my hand. "We should get back before it gets dark."

I rolled to my side and looked at his face, noticing how his eyelashes seemed to glow in the soft light. "I wish we could stay here forever."

"Me too, but I think we would miss Teddy." He smirked.

"You know what I mean." He leaned in and kissed me before helping me up from the blanket.

As I was returning our empty dishes to the saddle bag, I noticed something.

"What's this?" I pulled an envelope from the bottom of the bag.

"Okay, don't be mad. I know we said no gifts, but I had to." He came over and put his hands on my waist. "Besides, it's kind of for both of us."

I looked at him curiously, wondering what it could be.

He kissed my nose. "Open it."

I carefully peeled the envelope open and pulled out two plane tickets.

"I know I promised you a trip to Vancouver last year for Spring Break, but then I got you pregnant and everything," he chuckled "so, I figured we could go this year instead."

"What about Teddy?"

He placed his hand on my cheek and kissed me softly. "He'll stay with Rosemary and Lee. I've already talked to them. And I know that it'll be tough to leave him for a few days, but we promised each other we would take time just the two of us even after he came."

"We did." I kissed him back. "You have it all planned out?"

"Not everything, but all the big things. I have our hotel and rental car booked. Everything for Teddy is settled, and Cody and Abigail are going to take care of the dogs."

"You're amazing, Jack. Thank you. For this trip, for tonight, for being there for me this past month even though I know you've been hurting, too."

"You're welcome, but you don't need to thank me." He pressed his lips to my cheek. "I just like to see you happy."

"You make me so happy, Jack Thornton."


	47. Chapter 47

A/N I can't believe it's been a full year of this story now! Thanks for all the kind words and support over the past year!

...

"Are you sure we can't take him with us?" I sat on the floor beside Teddy, who was busy practicing his latest developmental milestone: using the sofa to pull himself to his feet. "What if he starts walking and we miss his first steps?"

"Beth, we'll only be gone for a few days. He's not cruising yet, and he can't stand without holding onto something. He's not going to start walking in the next week."

"But I'll miss him." I pulled him into my lap and kissed the top of his head as he tried to squirm out of my arms.

"I'll miss him, too. But he'll have so much fun with Rosemary and Lee and Alina." He reached over and intertwined his fingers with mine. "Plus, think of how much fun _we'll_ have with no one and nothing to interrupt us."

My cheeks warmed at the thought of what he had planned. "We do know how to have fun together."

"Exactly." He leaned in and kissed me. "Tomorrow morning, we're going to get on a plane, and then it's just us for five whole days."

I let go of Teddy, and he giggled as he used the sofa to pull himself to his feet again. "Look at you, Teddy Bear! You're getting so big." I glanced back at Jack. "When was the last time we had five whole days to ourselves?"

"Our honeymoon, probably. So, too long."

I chuckled. "Too long is right. You just had to go and get me pregnant right away."

"Yeah, yeah." He rolled his eyes. "As I recall, it took both of us to make him. And speaking of the little man, we should probably get him to bed now."

"Can we let him sleep in our room? Just for tonight."

"We already packed up the portable crib."

I gave him the best pleading look that I could muster. "Please?"

He sighed. "I'll go set it up. You go put him in his pajamas."

"Thank you, Jack. You're the best." I kissed him softly before he disappeared up the stairs. "Come on, Teddy Bear." I lifted him from the floor. "Let's go get ready for bed."

...

Jack poked his head into the nursery. "Are you ready to go?"

"Almost. I wanted to feed him one last time before we leave. He should be done soon." I glanced down at Teddy, brushing my fingers through his hair. He blinked sleepily, flexing his fingers on my chest. "I know we'll only be gone a few days, but I'm going to miss this."

"I know you will." He kissed my temple. "I'll go put our bags in the car. Take your time."

"Thank you, Jack." I squeezed his hand before he left the room. "Well, Teddy Bear, your daddy and I are going away for a few days, but I promise we'll be back soon. I'm going to miss you very much, my sweet boy. You'll get to stay with Auntie Rosemary and Uncle Lee, though, and I'll make sure they let me and your daddy talk to you every day. Do you promise to be good?"

He pulled away from me and met my eyes. "Mamamama." He smiled, showing off his new teeth that had appeared in the past few weeks.

"All done?"

In response, he snuggled into my shoulder.

"I love you, Jack Edward." I kissed the top of his head. "Let's go."

...

Jack squeezed my hand as the plane started to descend. "He'll be fine, Elizabeth."

"I know. It just feels strange knowing we're so far away from him."

"We can call Rosemary as soon as we get to the hotel."

"Sometimes I feel like you know me better than I know myself."

We were quiet for the remainder of the flight, just holding hands until the plane landed safely.

We got off the plane and made our way through the airport. It didn't take long to get through customs and grab our luggage.

Jack picked up the rental car, and we were on our way to the hotel.

"Jack, look at all these mountains. It's so beautiful here."

"You've barely seen any of it yet."

"And?"

"And there's so much more to see, so many places that are even more beautiful."

I leaned my forehead against the window, watching the scenery go by as we drove closer to the city.

...

I dropped my bag on the floor of the hotel room and immediately dialed Rosemary's number.

"Hi, Elizabeth."

"How is he?"

She laughed. "Glad you guys made it there okay. Teddy's fine. He took his food and his bottle fine, and he just went down for the night."

I let out a breath. "Did he give you any trouble?"

"No. He fussed a little when I was trying to get him to sleep, but I imagine that was because he was so tired. I'll let you know if anything comes up, I promise."

"Thank you, Rosemary."

"He really is a great baby. Lee and I are happy to watch him. You and Jack don't need to worry. Just enjoy this time you have to yourselves."

"We will. Thank you again. I'm sure I'll talk to you again soon."

"I figured as much." She laughed. "Now go be with your husband."

"Bye, Rosie."

I put my phone on the nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed.

"He's doing okay?" Jack looked up from his suitcase.

"She said he ate fine, and he's down for the night now."

"I told you he'd be fine."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah. So, what's the plan for this evening?"

"Well, since it's been a long day of traveling, I was thinking we could find a restaurant close by and then just come back here and relax. Or, if you're too tired to go out, we can just order some room service."

"Mm, room service sounds good." I lay back on the bed.

Jack lay beside me, propping himself up on his side. "Hi." He brushed his fingers against my cheek.

"Hi."

"I've missed you." He kissed my nose.

"I haven't gone anywhere."

"I mean I've missed having you all to myself. I love our son dearly, but sometimes it's nice to have time with just the two of us knowing that he won't be waiting for one of us to feed or change him. It's just you and me all night long. And all day tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day."

I pulled him toward me. "And just how will we occupy all that time?"

"I have some ideas." He touched his lips to mine, just barely. "Are you hungry?"

I tangled my fingers in his hair. "Food can wait."

...

I brushed my fingers across Jack's chest. "So far, I love Vancouver."

He laughed softly. "You know we can't just stay in the hotel the whole time."

"I mean, technically we _could_. No one is stopping us."

"As much as I like that idea, we came all this way, so we should get out at least a little."

"I guess. But not until tomorrow." I kissed his shoulder. "Can we order some food now? My stomach is about to start making some crazy noises."

He rolled away from me and reached for the room service menu on the table. "What sounds good?"

"Mm, pasta." I pulled the sheet up to my chin. "And cake. Do they have cake?"

"They do have cake. What do you want to drink?"

"Tea, please."

"Pasta, cake, and tea. Got it." He kissed my cheek.

I slipped from the bed and pulled Jack's shirt over my head.

"Where are you going?"

"I thought I'd take a walk around the hotel wearing nothing but your shirt." I smirked. "Relax, I'm just going to the bathroom, babe."

When I came back into the room, Jack was just hanging up the phone. "Food will be up soon."

"Good. Thanks for ordering it." I touched his cheek and walked toward the window, pulling back the curtain.

The sun was sinking behind the mountains, the sky fading to pink and orange.

"I just can't get over these mountains."

Jack stood behind me, resting his hands on my hips. "You say that like you've never seen mountains before."

"Well, I have, but never this close up."

"Haven't you seen the Alps?" He slid his arms around my waist, pulling me into his chest.

"From an airplane. That's different. These are right in front of me."

"I'll have to take you closer to them while we're here." He kissed the side of my neck. "But that'll require leaving this hotel room."

"If anything is going to get me out of this hotel room, it's probably the mountains."

...

"Babe." I nudged him gently.

He rolled over. "Hm?"

"It's almost ten o'clock. We should probably get up."

"Ten? That means it's almost noon at home. How did we sleep for so long?"

I curled into his side. "Well, if you recall, we did stay up pretty late last night."

He grinned and kissed me. "And it was totally worth it." He stretched. "Well, how about we shower, get dressed, find a place to get some brunch, and then see what kind of trouble we can get into the rest of the day?"

"Sounds perfect."

He kissed me again. "Have I told you lately how much I love you, Elizabeth Thornton?"

"I think you told me quite a few times last night," I smirked, "but feel free to keep telling me." I placed my hand on his cheek. "I love you, too, by the way."

Thirty minutes later, Jack stepped out of the bathroom in his boxers, drying his hair with a towel.

"Jack, come look." I held out my phone. "Clara had her baby a few hours ago. Abigail just sent me a picture."

He took the phone from me. "She's cute. She looks so little."

"Well, she weighs three pounds less than Teddy did was when he was born." I chuckled. "She's actually just under average size for a newborn."

"They named her Ally, right?"

"Mhmm. Ally Mae Flynn."

He kept staring at the picture, and I knew where his mind had gone.

"We'll have another one, just not yet. I'm getting there, though."

"Whenever you're ready." He handed my phone back to me and kissed me gently. "I just need to get dressed, and then we can head out."

...

"Jack, come over here."

"In a minute." He lifted the camera up again, continuing to snap photos of the scenery.

I sighed contentedly, looking across the water at the mountains. "It's so beautiful."

"I think it's even more beautiful than it was when I came here as a kid." Jack moved to my side, slipping his arm around my waist.

"Has it changed a lot since then?"

He shook his head. "Not really. It's more beautiful because you're here."

I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in his chest. "You're such a flirt, Jack Thornton."

"And you're beautiful." He kissed the top of my head. "Let's keep walking."

He took my hand, and we continued to meander down the path.

"We need to bring Teddy up here when he's older."

"Definitely."

...

"You're quiet over there. What are you thinking about?"

"I've had a wonderful time the past few days, but I miss Teddy." While we kept our days full of sightseeing, hiking, and exploring the city, nothing was able to distract me from the fact that we had never been away from Teddy for so long.

"Just a few more hours, and we'll get him back."

I leaned my head on his shoulder as the plane accelerated down the runway. "Jack, thank you for this trip. I needed it."

"We both needed it." He took my hand. "We've had a difficult couple of months. We needed the break."

I felt a pang of sadness as I thought about the baby we lost. It had been over two months since the day we sat in the hospital room and listened to the doctor explain that there was no heartbeat, that our baby was gone.

We still hadn't told many people, just our parents and siblings, the Coulters, and Abigail. I didn't expect we would tell anyone else, though it was becoming easier to talk about it.

At this point, I would have been nearly halfway through my pregnancy. We would have been finding out if the baby was a boy or a girl—though I was still convinced that it had been another boy, little Owen. I would have told my students so they wouldn't be left wondering why my stomach was growing.

Getting away from the responsibilities of everyday life and spending time alone with Jack had given me a chance to process and heal. Though there was still an ache in my chest when I thought about what could have been, I felt like I could finally move forward.

I turned to face Jack and kissed his jaw. "I love you."

...

I had my seatbelt off and the car door open the second that Jack put the car in park.

"A little eager there?"

"I haven't seen our son since Monday, so yes, I'm eager."

I walked across the yard without bothering to see if Jack was following. I knocked on the door of Lee and Rosemary's house, almost shaking with excitement.

"Welcome back." Rosemary opened the door wider and ushered me into the house. "Lee's got him in the kitchen with Alina. Hi, Jack," she greeted him as he entered the house beside me.

Teddy was sitting in a high chair, his face covered in applesauce.

"Oh, hey, little man. Look who's here." Lee pointed at us.

Teddy grinned when he saw us. "Mamamama."

Lee wiped his face and lifted him from the high chair. "Let's go to mama, okay?" He passed him to me.

I held him against my shoulder. "Hi, Teddy Bear. I missed you so much. Did you have fun here?" I glanced back at Lee and Rosemary. "Thank you for watching him."

"Of course. We loved having him here."

"It gave us a little taste of what it'll be like when our little boy gets here." Rosemary placed her hands on her stomach and grinned.

"You're having a boy? That's wonderful."

"Congratulations, you guys."

"Thank you." She touched Teddy's hand. "Now, I know you're eager to get home and get settled back in with your little man here. We can talk later."

I hugged her carefully. "Thank you again."

Fifteen minutes later, Jack and I were curled up on our bed, Teddy snuggled between us.

"Don't get me wrong, I loved spending this week with you, but nothing beats this right here."

"I agree." He kissed the top of Teddy's head, then leaned in to press his lips to mine. "I love you."

"I love you more."


	48. Chapter 48

"Well hello there, grandma." I took a seat in the pew beside Abigail.

She grinned. "Good morning, Thorntons."

Jack slid in beside me, Teddy snuggled in his arms. "How is your little grandbaby?"

"She's good. She had a few apnea episodes in the first twenty-four hours, so they had to keep her at the hospital for an extra day, but she's fine now. They're all healthy and home."

"Oh, goodness. I bet that was scary. How are Clara and Jesse doing?"

"They're good. Clara was a little overwhelmed for a few days there, but that's understandable, given everything. I think they're finally getting settled into the whole parenthood thing, and Becky's been over there helping out a lot since she's been off school. That's where she's at this morning."

"So she's enjoying being an aunt?"

"She's loving it." She pulled out her phone and held it up to show us photos of the baby. "She's been sending me pictures all morning."

"What about you, Cody? How do you like being an uncle?"

"It's alright, I guess." He shrugged. "Ally's cute, but all she does is sleep."

Jack chuckled. "Don't worry. They get much more entertaining with time." He glanced down at Teddy, who had fallen asleep in his lap. "Sometimes," he corrected with a laugh.

I nudged him with my shoulder. "Well, at least we know he took your little pre-church 'be quiet' talk to heart this week."

...

After we finished eating lunch, Jack, Lee, and Carson took Cody and Teddy outside to play. Abigail and Faith were at one end of the table, entertaining Alina and trying to make some plans for the meal at Faith and Carson's wedding.

"Hey, Rosemary." I pulled out a chair beside her and took a seat. "I just realized I was so occupied with getting Teddy back the other night that I forgot to ask how you're feeling."

She put a hand on her stomach and smiled. "I'm feeling great, so much better than I was at first."

"That's great."

"And how are you?" She took my hand in hers, a sincere expression on her face.

I gave a little smile. "I'm okay. Getting away with Jack was very much needed. It was good for us."

"Good." She let out a little gasp, then laughed. "Sorry, he's kicking me. He's so much more active than Alina was."

"Does she know she's getting a brother?"

She rolled her eyes. "We keep telling her it's a boy, but she's still adamant that it's a girl."

"Speaking of little Miss." I held out my arms when Alina toddled up to us, and she happily clambered into my lap.

"Auntie Bet." She snuggled into me.

"Hi, sweetheart." I kissed the top of her head. "Your mom was just telling me about your baby brother."

"No bruder. Sissy."

I chuckled. "Well, your mom and dad both told me it's a brother. Don't you like playing with Teddy?"

She nodded emphatically.

"Well see, that's what it'll be like to have a brother. And you know what else, Alina? You're the oldest, so you get to be the boss of your brother."

"No bruder."

"Hopefully she'll change her mind when he actually comes." Rosemary laughed. "Hey, Alina, can you show Auntie Beth where the baby is right now?"

She pointed her little finger toward Rosemary's belly. "Baby."

"That's right! Good job, honey." She reached over and ruffled Alina's hair.

Alina turned back toward me and placed her chubby hands on my stomach. "Baby?"

My heart dropped. "No, sweetheart. There's not a baby in there right now."

Rosemary mouthed 'sorry,' and I shook my head. It wasn't her fault that Alina asked that question.

"No baby?"

"Nope. No baby."

"Here, honey." Rosemary reached for Alina. "That's enough questions for Auntie Beth."

She climbed into her mom's lap and started rubbing her belly, mumbling 'baby' over and over.

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth."

"No, it's fine. I promise." I sighed. "It still hurts, but I can finally talk about it without crying. Like I said before, getting away with Jack was really good for us; it helped us heal. We're not quite ready to try again just yet, but it feels like we can finally move forward in our lives."

"Well, good. And you know I'm always here for you if you need anything."

I nodded. "I know. Thank you for that, Rosemary."

"What are friends for?" She smiled.

...

I buckled Teddy into his car seat. "What do you say, Teddy Bear? Are you excited to go meet Ally?"

He grinned at me and kicked his legs. "Mamamama."

I chuckled. "I'll take that as a 'yes.'"

A few minutes later, we pulled up at the Flynn house. Jack sent a text to Jesse to let him know that we were there; we didn't want to ring the doorbell and wake the baby should she happen to be asleep.

Jesse answered the door. "Hey, guys. Come on in." He motioned for us to enter the house. "I think Clara is just finishing up changing the baby's diaper, so you came at the perfect time."

Clara was just laying the baby back down when we entered the room. "Hi, guys."

"Hi, Clara." I carefully hugged her. "How are you?"

"Exhausted, still a little sore, but overall, pretty good."

"Yeah, who knew a baby could be so exhausting?" Jesse chuckled and winked at her.

"All I have to say is, thank goodness for Becky. I'm pretty sure I'd be a zombie if she hadn't been here to help out all week. You actually just missed her. She was here this morning, but she went home a few minutes ago."

I walked over to where the baby was lying. "May I?"

"Of course."

I carefully lifted her from the bassinet. "She's beautiful."

Clara smiled. "Thank you."

"Look at those big blue eyes." The baby stretched and yawned, blinking sleepily. "Hi there, Ally. I'm your Auntie Beth. It's nice to meet you."

Jack reached over and touched her cheek. "She's so tiny."

"After being there when Teddy was born, I was a little worried she'd be big. I don't know if you've noticed, but Jesse is not a small man." Clara chuckled.

Jesse rolled his eyes. "I promise you, I was a normal-sized baby."

"Yeah, Jack didn't tell me he was eight and a half pounds at birth until I was eight months along with Teddy, and then he tried to reassure me that our baby wouldn't be that big." I turned toward him and raised my eyebrows.

"Hey," he put his hands up, "for all I knew, he was just going to be an average-sized baby. The doctor never gave us any indication that he'd be nine and a half pounds."

Clara shook her head. "I still don't know how you did that, Elizabeth."

"Truthfully, I don't know how I did it, either."

"Mamamama." Teddy twisted in Jack's arms, reaching for me.

"Looks like someone is a little jealous."

"Here." I passed Ally back to Clara and took Teddy from Jack. I kissed his forehead. "Are you happy now?"

He leaned his cheek against my chest. "Mamamama."

"We should probably get him home for his nap, Elizabeth." Jack put his hand on the small of my back.

"Oh, we should. I lost track of time." I reached over and touched Clara's arm. "Thank you for letting us come meet Ally."

"Of course. Thank you for dropping by."

...

A few weeks later, I was in my classroom, walking between the desks while my students wrote in their journals. I noticed one student with her head down and her arms across her stomach.

I knelt down beside her desk. "Katie, are you feeling okay?"

The little girl lifted her head and shook it. "My tummy hurts."

"Why don't we get you to the nurse, sweetheart?"

She lowered her head back to her desk and nodded.

Noticing how pale she looked, I called in the teaching assistant from the classroom next door to walk with her to the office, just in case she couldn't make it all the way on her own.

Just a few minutes after she left, I got a call from the front office stating that she was being sent home for the day and that her things needed to be sent up to the office for her.

With Katie having gone home, I was down four students, all to illness. I prayed that I wouldn't fall ill, too.

At the end of the day, I was clearing papers off the desks when there was a knock at the door.

"Elizabeth, do you have a moment?"

I turned to see the school nurse standing in the doorway of my classroom. "Yes, of course. Come in." I waved her in.

"I just wanted to let you know that Katie has the stomach flu. She's the fourth student of yours to come down with it. The janitors have been made aware, but you might want to do some extra cleaning in your room for the next few days."

"Okay. Thank you for letting me know."

"You have a baby at home, right?"

I nodded, unable to stop the smile from spreading across my face as Teddy's little grin flashed through my mind. "My son, yes."

"I would suggest you sterilize his toys and bottles and things to make sure he doesn't catch it since you've obviously been exposed. It can be worse in little ones."

"I will. Thank you."

...

Jack stepped into the kitchen. "Are you…sterilizing everything?"

I looked up from the pot of boiling water filled with Teddy's pacifiers. "Yes. The stomach flu is going around at school, and I just want to make sure Teddy doesn't get it. Three kids in my class were out with it today, and one had to go home in the middle of the day."

"Well, that's not good. You're okay, though, right?"

I nodded. "I'm fine, so far. A few of the other teachers have been out with it this week. I'm just washing my hands as often as possible and hoping for the best."

He kissed my cheek. "I'm going to change and then I'll come help you finish up in here. What do you think about ordering Chinese for dinner?"

"Yes, please."

...

Two days later, I woke to an upset stomach, and I spent the morning in the bathroom.

"Beth?" Jack called out from our room.

"In here." My voice was rough, weak.

He peeked into the bathroom, where I was curled up against the wall. "Are you okay?"

"No." I lifted my head from my knees. "It turns out I caught the stomach flu."

"Do you need me to stay home with you?" He knelt beside me, placing his hand on my back.

"No." I shook my head. "We don't both need to miss work."

"Okay." He kissed my temple. "You feel warm."

"That's because I have a fever."

"Do you want me to take Teddy next door before I go to work?"

"Yes, please. The bag should already be packed and in his room. He hasn't eaten yet, so you'll need to tell Rosemary to give him a bottle."

"Are you okay in here, or do you want help getting back in bed?"

"Bed, please." I shivered, chills running down my body.

He took my hands and pulled me up, letting me lean against him as we walked toward our bed.

"Call me if you need anything, okay? I can come home early." He pulled the quilt up to my shoulders. "I'm sorry you don't feel well."

"I'll be fine."

"I'll go get you some water before I go. We need to make sure you stay hydrated."

"Thank you, Jack."

I dozed off almost immediately after he left the room, briefly waking when he returned with a glass of water and a sleeve of crackers.

He pressed his lips to my forehead. "I love you."

...

I spent most of the day in bed, watching Netflix on my laptop when I wasn't asleep or in the bathroom.

By the time Jack returned from work, I had been able to keep a few crackers down, and I was beginning to feel a bit better, though I was still weak.

Despite having worked all day, Jack tended to me and Teddy both for the rest of the afternoon and evening, and by nightfall, I was feeling well enough to sit up and hold our son.

I shifted in the bed until I was leaning against the headboard, and Jack lowered Teddy into my arms.

"Are you sure it's okay for you to feed him while you're sick? I can give him a bottle."

"I called Faith earlier to ask about it, and she said it's fine. It won't get him sick. Besides, I always feel better when I'm feeding him."

Teddy settled against my chest, his little fingers gripping the hem of my shirt. I rubbed his back gently as he ate.

"I also had her run my symptoms by Carson, and he said it definitely sounds like stomach flu. He says I just need to keep hydrated, and it should pass within another day or two."

"Good." He slipped his arm around my shoulders. "I don't like when you're sick."

I laughed softly. "I don't like when I'm sick, either."

He squeezed my shoulder gently. "I know this probably isn't the best time to bring this up, but I'm ready now. For another baby."

"I'm still not there yet, Jack."

He kissed my temple. "That's fine. I didn't expect you to be ready yet. I'm not going to pressure you. I just want you to know that I'm ready whenever you are, whether that's tomorrow or five years from now."

"I can't imagine wanting to wait five years, but thank you, Jack."

He glanced down at our son, brushing the hair from his face, before looking up at me again. "I love you, Elizabeth."

"I love you, Jack."


	49. Chapter 49

Jack rolled onto his side and placed his hand on my cheek. "How are you feeling?"

"Still a little weak and sick to my stomach, but I feel much better than I did yesterday." I covered my mouth while I yawned. "Apparently I'm still tired, too. I'll take off work again today, just in case, and then I should be more than fine to go back Monday."

"Good." He kissed my forehead. "I hate when you're sick."

"It's no fun for me, either," I touched my thumb to his lips, "because I don't get to kiss you when I'm sick."

"I never said you weren't allowed to kiss me." He leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. "If I get sick, then so be it." He kissed me again, then grinned. "Worth it."

I rolled my eyes. "You're such a goof."

"Okay, I need to take a shower and get ready for work. You just relax."

I stretched and settled back into the pillows, letting the sound of the shower lull me back to sleep.

I woke a few minutes later when the water shut off.

Jack came out of the bathroom, doing up the buttons on his shirt. "Do you want me to take Teddy next door?"

"I think I want to keep him here today. If I start feeling worse, I'll call Rosemary and have her come get him."

"Okay." He laced up his shoes. "Do you need anything before I go?"

"Maybe just a glass of water."

"On it."

I smiled as I watched him walk out of the room, thanking God for leading me to Jack Thornton.

He returned ten minutes later with Teddy and a glass of water. He set the glass on my nightstand.

"I heard him moving around in his crib when I came back upstairs." He lowered our son onto the bed. "I went ahead and changed his diaper."

"Thank you." I reached toward Teddy, brushing the hair back from his forehead. "Good morning, Teddy Bear."

He climbed onto me, grinning, his little knee digging into my stomach.

"Oh, bud, be careful. Mama's tummy is still a little sick." Jack lifted him off of me and set him on the bed beside me.

"Thank you, Jack."

"Don't overdo it today." He leaned down and kissed me. "I'm working a longer shift today, so I can pick something up for dinner on my way home."

"Okay. Stay safe. I love you."

"I love you, too." He kissed me again, then kissed the top of Teddy's head. "I love you, little man."

...

"Okay, Teddy Bear, what should we do today?"

"Mamamama." He crawled to my side and tugged on my shirt.

"Oh, you're right, bud. I need to feed you before we do anything." I poked his belly, sending him into a fit of giggles. "Are you hungry?"

I leaned against the headboard and got him settled in to eat, and he smiled up at me.

"Did you sleep well last night, Teddy Bear?" I touched the little dimple in his cheek. "Goodness, you look more and more like your daddy with every passing day. If you didn't come out of me, I wouldn't know you're half Thatcher." I chuckled. "Speaking of the Thatchers, your nana and papa Thatcher and your aunt Julie are going to come visit in June for your birthday, and your grandma Charlotte and uncle Tom. I think your aunt Viola is going to try to come, too. It'll be nice to see all of them, huh?"

He pulled away and crawled out of my lap.

"Done already?"

He grabbed the little stuffed bear he had dropped on the other side of the bed and returned to me, getting situated in my lap again.

"Or not." I chuckled as he started to eat again. "How about we go outside for a little while today? Does that sound fun? We could even have a picnic lunch out back with Rip and Bronte, and we can play in the grass."

...

It was a beautiful day outside, a clear blue sky with not a cloud in sight. The sun was still blocked by the house, keeping the backyard shaded and cool.

I set out a blanket on the grass and lowered Teddy onto it. He immediately rolled from his back to his stomach and started to crawl away. Bronte met him at the edge of the blanket, licking all over his face.

I smiled as he shrieked and giggled.

"Is Bronte your friend, Teddy Bear?"

He sat back on the blanket and reached up to pet the dog. I loved the bond that they had. She had been protective of him from the moment he was born, and he had gotten attached to her quickly. I was thankful that she had adjusted so well to having a baby in the house. Now that he was mobile, she had to put up with a lot. He left Rip alone most of the time, but he was always climbing on Bronte and tugging on her fur, and she just let him.

"Hey, Teddy Bear, where's Rip? Is he on the porch?" I turned to look at the lazy dog, who was stretched out and sleeping beside the porch swing.

"Mamamama." Teddy used Bronte to pull himself up, swaying a little on the uneven ground. "Bee." He tapped the dog with one hand, holding onto her fur with the other.

"That's right, bud. That's Bee." Before he moved further away, I pulled some fruit from a bowl I'd brought out with us. "Do you want a snack, Teddy Bear?"

He grinned, dropping to his hands and knees to crawl over to me. He had become a very confident crawler over the previous months, and he was starting to cruise more and more along the furniture in the house. I knew it was only a matter of time before he would be walking all by himself.

I sighed as I watched him chew on a piece of melon. As much as I loved seeing his personality develop and appreciated his increasing independence, I hated how quickly he seemed to be growing. Part of me missed the days when he was content to stay in my arms for hours.

"Mama." He held up his food to show me.

"I see it. Is that yummy?"

We stayed outside for an hour, snacking and traipsing through the grass, only returning to the house when it started to feel warm and I noticed Teddy's little face turning pink.

...

"Elizabeth?"

"We're in the living room." I rubbed Teddy's back as he shifted against my chest, snoring quietly in his sleep. Jack came in, carrying a bag of food. I smiled at him. "Hey, babe. How was work?"

"Good. I'm glad to be home, though. I brought dinner." He set the bag on the coffee table and leaned in to kiss me. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. Teddy and I had a picnic outside earlier, and I think that might have been a little much for both of us. He refused to nap after that, which is why he's out now. Oh, and I figured out my stomach isn't quite ready for fruit again, yet."

"Then it's a good thing I brought you soup instead." He smirked and kissed my nose. "Do you want me to take little man up to his room?"

"No. I was about to wake him anyway, so he won't struggle to fall asleep later."

"Okay. I'm going to change out of my uniform, and then we can all eat."

...

By the next morning, I was feeling back to normal, and the rest of April passed quickly. May came before we knew it, and with it came my birthday.

"Good morning." Jack kissed my nose. "Happy birthday, Beth."

"Mm, good morning and thank you." I stretched and nuzzled my face into his chest. "I don't want to get up."

"Well, we have to get up and get through work so we can come home and start celebrating."

"Can't we just stay home and start celebrating now?"

"By 'celebrate' do you mean 'sleep in'?"

"Maybe." I laughed softly and kissed his chest. "It should be a thing that everyone is allowed to sleep in on their birthday. Don't you think?"

"Yes, but unfortunately that isn't a thing." He brushed his lips across my forehead. "Besides, Teddy wouldn't let you sleep in, anyway."

I sighed. "That's true. He's just lucky he's so cute."

Jack rolled out of bed. "I'll get him up and changed this morning so you can stay in bed for a few more minutes."

"Mm, you sure know the way to my heart."

...

The school day went well. There were no major incidents with my students, Jack had a vase full of purple roses sent to me, and one of my coworkers brought in cupcakes.

After work, I spent the early part of the afternoon playing with Teddy in his room. When Jack arrived home from work, he found me sitting in the glider with Teddy in my lap while I read him a Dr. Seuss book.

"Hi." He leaned against the door frame, a grin stretching across his face. "Are you ready for the birthday celebrations to begin?"

"As soon as I finish this book and change his diaper."

"Okay. I'll start getting things ready."

When I came downstairs with Teddy a few minutes later, I noticed that Jack had pushed the furniture toward the walls, leaving the middle of the living room empty.

"Uh, what's going on in here?"

"Well, we can't very well watch a movie on the projector out back while it's raining, so I had to improvise."

"At least it's just rain and not a storm. Did I ever tell you about the year I had a sleepover for my birthday, and we ended up having to take shelter in the middle of the night because the tornado sirens went off?"

"Seriously?"

I chuckled and nodded, shifting Teddy to my other hip. "And somehow, I slept through most of it, so my dad had to carry me to the closet. I woke up in there with no idea what was going on."

"Goodness. How old were you?"

"I think seven or eight."

"If little nine-year-old Jack had been there, he would've held your hand so you wouldn't be scared." He winked and kissed my cheek before he finished setting up the projector screen in front of the fireplace.

"So, what are we watching?" I moved to the center of the room, trying to spot a DVD case.

"You have to wait a few more minutes to find out. Don't worry, it's something you like."

"Well, it better be. It is my birthday, after all."

"Now get settled in." He motioned toward the pillows and blankets scattered on the floor.

A grin spread across my face a few minutes later when he started the movie and the opening notes of Hello Dolly began to play. I sank into his side, and he rested his hand on my leg.

"Happy?"

"Very."

...

I nudged Jack and pointed at our son. He was sitting up straight, staring intently at the screen.

"Looks like we have a little Streisand fan there."

Jack ruffled his hair. "He probably gets that from his daddy."

"Really? Since when are you a fan of Barbra Streisand?"

"Since my mom played her music all the time when I was little."

I laughed softly. "Why do I have such a hard time imagining your mom listening to that kind of music?"

"It really doesn't seem like something she'd enjoy, but she loves it."

While we were talking, Teddy used Jack's arm to pull himself up.

"Wait, Beth. Is he about to walk?"

I shrugged. "He could be. He's been cruising for a while."

We both watched as he let go of Jack and stood unsupported for a few seconds, his little body swaying just a bit. He took one tentative step, then another, slowly moving closer to the screen.

He got halfway across the room before falling on his little diapered bottom.

Jack scooped him up. "Look at you, little man! Walking all by yourself."

"You're such a big boy, Teddy Bear." I kissed the top of his head, then moved to press my lips to Jack's. "Can you believe that this time last year, he was still inside of me?"

"That feels like forever ago and yesterday at the same time."

Teddy squirmed in Jack's arms until he released him. He stood back up and took a few steps toward the screen again.

Jack took my hand. "Our baby is _walking_."

I shook my head. "I wish time could slow down a bit."

Teddy dropped to the floor again, pointing at the screen and babbling.

"Who would've guessed that Hello Dolly would be the thing to get him walking?"

"He has good taste. _And_ he waited until your birthday. He really is the perfect child."

...

"I ran you a bath."

"That sounds amazing. I just need to put Teddy to bed."

"I'll put him down." He held out his arms. "Go. Relax."

I kissed Teddy's forehead. "Good night, Teddy Bear. I love you."

Jack took our son from me. "Let's go get you in your pajamas and get you in bed." He kept speaking softly to him as he walked down the hallway.

I made my way to the bathroom and sank into the hot water. I took a deep breath and leaned my head back on the edge of the tub.

I started dozing, only to be awakened when Jack tapped on the door frame. He poked his head into the room.

"Doing okay in here?"

"Yes." I shifted a bit, disturbing the water around me. "I'd be better if you joined me, though."

"Well, if I must." He winked and undressed before slipping into the tub behind me, just barely squeezing my hips with his legs.

I leaned back, resting my head on his shoulder. "Thank you for a wonderful birthday."

"The day's not over yet." He brushed his lips across my neck, sending chills down my body. "I still have more plans for us."

"Mm, I think for once, I might actually be able to guess what you're planning."

"Oh, really?" He kissed my shoulder.

"At least I hope my guess is right." I turned slightly, meeting his eyes. They were dark, shining. I pressed my lips to his jaw. "I love you, Jack Thornton."

"I love you, Elizabeth. Ann. Thornton." He punctuated each of my names with a kiss. "So much."

...

A/N I know I've mentioned this before, but here's a reminder that you guys are welcome to let me know what you want to see more of in my stories! I get inspiration from lots of places, and your comments can be a big help when I'm stuck on a chapter!


	50. Chapter 50

A/N I figured we'd celebrate 50 chapters with the longest chapter of this story yet! Thanks for your continued support and kind comments!

Big stuff happening for our little Thornton family in this one :)

...

I opened my eyes, blinking in the bright sunlight streaming through the curtains. When I rolled over, I expected to encounter Jack. Instead, I encountered empty sheets. I sighed, trying to motivate myself to get up, something that was more difficult now that school was out for the summer.

I heard Jack laugh from across the hall. I quietly stepped down the hallway and peeked into the nursery. He was sitting on the floor with Teddy, his back to the door. Teddy noticed me and pointed.

"What is it, Teddy?" Jack followed his finger and met my gaze. Teddy babbled incoherently. "Oh, you're right, bud. It's a pretty girl."

I smiled and rolled my eyes. "How long has he been up?"

"I don't know. I came in here ten minutes ago, and he was already awake." He returned his attention to our son. "You were wide awake, weren't you?" Jack tickled him, and he giggled. "I still can't believe he's almost a year old."

"Me neither." I took a deep breath. "Hey, Jack?"

"Yes?" He turned to look at me again.

I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to find the courage to say the words aloud that had been running through my head for days. "I think I'm pregnant."

He froze. "What?"

"I haven't taken a test yet, but I'm pretty sure that I'm pregnant again."

He put Teddy back in the crib and took me in his arms. "How are you feeling about this?"

I shrugged. "Honestly? A little excited, but mostly terrified. I just keep thinking about the last time. I thought we were being careful so this wouldn't happen again until we felt ready. I'm not ready, Jack."

"Well, we thought we were being careful when you got pregnant with Teddy." He brought his hand to my cheek, brushing away a tear that had fallen. "Hey, everything is going to be okay. Why don't we go downstairs and have some breakfast?"

I shook my head. "No, I need to take a test right now. I need to know for sure." Thankfully, I still had a few tests left over from the last time. I found the package in the back of a drawer in the bathroom, double checking the expiration date.

Jack was sitting on the bed, patiently waiting, when I stepped out of the bathroom a few minutes later. I stood in front of him silently, staring at the test in my hands.

"Well?"

I just nodded as tears began to roll down my cheeks. He pulled me into his lap, wrapping his arms around me.

He kissed my temple. "I love you, Beth. I can't believe we're having another baby." He placed one hand on my stomach.

"Another baby," I whispered, resting my hand on top of his.

"I'm so happy, Elizabeth."

"So am I. Terrified and happy."

"Hey, are you still up to going to the zoo today?" He reached up with his other hand and wiped the tears from my cheek with his thumb.

"Yes. We promised Teddy."

"Are you sure? I'm pretty sure he doesn't remember we promised. We can just stay here today."

"Really, Jack, I'm fine. A little overwhelmed, but fine."

He moved his hand across my stomach. "Do you feel sick or anything?"

I shook my head. "No. I feel fine. My answer might be different later, but right now I'm fine."

He grinned, looking down at his hand on my belly.

I laughed softly. "You're just so proud, aren't you?"

"Just a little. I mean, that's my baby in there. _Our_ baby."

...

Jack took my hand as we walked down the sidewalk. Teddy was nestled against his chest in the baby carrier, his head poking out so he could see. "I think the first thing we'll see up here are some grizzly bears."

I smiled. "Perfect. Our little Teddy Bear can see some real bears for the first time."

We crossed the train tracks and headed up the steps leading to the viewing area for the bears.

"Look, Teddy." Jack pointed toward the exhibit, where a grizzly bear was lumbering across the rocks. "See the bear?"

"Hey, Teddy Bear, can you tell your daddy what kind of sound a bear makes? Does a bear say 'grrr'?"

He looked from me to Jack to the bear before letting out a little growl.

Jack chuckled. "Good job, bud."

We continued on through the row of buildings, pointing out the different animals to Teddy: foxes and lizards, eagles and seahorses. He stared at everything in wide-eyed wonder.

We exited the last building, stepping into the sunlight.

Jack put his hand on my back. "Do you need to sit down or take a break or anything?"

"No. I feel fine. I promise I'll let you know if I need a break." I kept walking. "Come on, we're almost to the petting zoo."

"Ooh, a petting zoo. What do you think about that, little man?"

Teddy giggled and kicked his legs.

The enclosure was filled with goats and sheep; a smaller pen held a few rabbits. There were a couple of children roaming around inside, following the animals around.

"You take him in. I'll wait here."

Jack went through the gate and took Teddy out of the carrier, lowering him to the ground in the middle of the enclosure. He looked around for a moment, hesitant, before he took a few steps toward one of the goats.

Jack crouched down beside our son. "You have to be gentle, Teddy, just like you are with Rip and Bronte. Okay?"

The animals barely paid him any attention; they were too focused on eating from the pile of hay laid out for them. Teddy reached out and touched a goat, immediately turning to make sure Jack was watching.

"Dada!"

"I see you, bud. Are you petting a goat? Can you say goat?"

As I leaned against the fence, watching them, I found my mind drawn to the new baby I carried. I touched my stomach, imagining a day in the future when we would bring our _two_ children on outings.

Jack looked over at me and grinned. "Hey, Teddy, can you show mama how you can pet the goat?"

"That goat is kind of funny looking without ears."

"What do you think, Teddy? Is that a silly looking goat?"

...

Teddy fell asleep in my arms before we even made it to the car.

I buckled him into his car seat while Jack loaded everything else into the trunk. "I'd say that was a successful outing."

"Who would've guessed he'd be fine with elephants and tigers but terrified of tortoises?" Jack chuckled.

"In his defense, those tortoises were huge."

"I wonder if the next one will be afraid of them, too." He brushed his hand across my stomach as he passed me.

"I can't believe our little Teddy Bear is going to be a big brother."

"Well, if he's anything like me, he'll be a _great_ big brother."

"Should I ask Tom if that's true?"

"I don't know. Should I ask Julie if you're a good big sister?" He winked and kissed my cheek.

I smirked and slid into the passenger seat. "Go for it."

...

I didn't look up from the picture in my hands when Jack walked through the front door. "Hi."

"Hi, Beth." He came to stand in front of me and kissed the top of my head. "I'm sorry I couldn't come to your appointments today. How did everything go?"

Without a word, I held the picture out to him.

He looked at it intently, trying to figure out exactly what he was seeing. "This is our baby?"

I nodded.

"Our baby." He brushed his finger across the ultrasound picture, a grin stretching across his face as he traced the baby's profile. "Everything looks good?"

"Everything is perfect."

He set the picture on the table and took a seat beside me. "How are you feeling?"

"Still terrified. It really hit me while I was sitting there looking at the screen. We're having another baby, Jack. We're going to have two kids under two." I leaned my head on his shoulder. "How are we supposed to do this?"

"We'll figure it out." He took my hand, rubbing his thumb across my knuckles. "I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but you know we'll have lots of help."

"I know." I sighed. "I'm feeling a little better now that I've had the ultrasound, though. I know the odds of losing another one aren't high, but I was worried. The technician said the heartbeat is exactly where it should be." I put my hand on my stomach. "Plus, I'm already eleven weeks along, which is almost a month past when we lost Owen."

"I'm sure everything is going to be just fine." He kissed the top of my head. "You said you're eleven weeks along?"

"Mhmm. Eleven weeks and four days, to be exact."

"So…" he was quiet for a moment as he counted, "Vancouver?"

I nodded. "I'm pretty sure."

"Apparently that trip was even better for us than we thought it was." He raised his eyebrows.

"Apparently."

"And when you were sick last month?"

"Oh, I really did have the stomach flu then. I've had a little bit of morning sickness, but that didn't start until recently." I rubbed my stomach. "That's when I started to suspect that maybe I was pregnant."

He picked up the ultrasound picture again, a smile playing on his lips. "The baby has your nose. She looks cute."

"She?"

He shrugged. "Or _he_ looks cute. That just slipped out."

"Are you hoping for a girl this time?"

"Maybe? I don't know. A daughter would be nice, but I would love another son, too. Honestly, I'm just happy there's another baby in there." He smiled, placing his hand beside mine on the tiny bump.

"Jack?" I absentmindedly reached for his hand, lacing our fingers together. "I think I want to find out what this baby is. I know we kept it a surprise with Teddy, but with everything that happened with Owen, I just want all the information we can possibly get. I realize that knowing if we're having a boy or a girl isn't going to change anything, but I just want to know."

"We'll find out halfway through, right?"

I nodded. "Probably sometime at the end of July. I'm due in mid-December, just over a week before Christmas."

He chuckled. "Good to know this one probably won't be born during a tornado."

"Maybe it'll be an ice storm instead."

"Well don't say that. Now I'm going to worry that'll happen."

I chuckled. "Chances are, this baby will come on a mild winter day. I just hope she isn't nine and a half pounds."

"Oh goodness, I didn't even think about that. I'll just go ahead and apologize in advance." He slipped his arm around me, pulling me into his side. "Hey, did you say 'she?' You think it's a girl, too?"

I shrugged. "Maybe. I don't really have strong feelings either way. Considering I made it nearly three months before realizing I was pregnant, I'd say my instincts aren't as great this time."

He laughed. "Well, regardless of whether your instincts are correct or not, this baby is going to be perfect."

...

I rolled onto my back and draped my arm across my stomach. "Jack, I don't want to tell anyone about the baby tomorrow."

"Not even our parents?"

"Well, maybe we can tell them when Teddy is napping. I just want the day to be about him, though."

"I guess that makes sense." He smiled and slipped his hand under my shirt, brushing his fingers across my stomach. "I'm just so happy. We made another baby, Beth."

I lifted the hem of my shirt, revealing the little bump. "I wonder how long we'll be able to hide this from everyone else. Since it's not my first pregnancy, I'll probably get bigger faster than I did with Teddy. I'm pretty sure I've been showing since before I even knew there was a baby in there."

"You can probably make it another week or two if you wear loose clothes." He shifted down in the bed until his face was even with my belly. "Hi, baby. Thanks for letting us get pictures of you today. I think you look like your mama, but I guess we'll find out in December, eh?" He looked up at me and winked.

I rolled my eyes. "You're adorable, Jack Thornton."

"Hey, little one, tomorrow is your big brother's first birthday, so I think your mama and I should probably get some rest now. You let your mama get some sleep, okay?" He pressed his lips to my stomach. "I love you, baby T."

He moved back up in the bed, leaning his head on his pillow.

"And I love you, too."

I kissed him. "I love you, babe."

...

I pulled my dress over my head, turning sideways to look in the mirror. I moved my hand across my stomach, trying to determine if my little bump was visible. I sighed and walked back to my closet.

"Elizabeth, are you ready?"

"I need to change. You can tell I'm pregnant in this dress."

"I can't tell at all." He shifted Teddy in his arms. "Come on, people are going to start arriving any minute."

"But Jack…"

"Beth, I can't tell you're pregnant, and I know to look for it. No one is going to notice. Besides, everyone is going to be so focused on this little man, they probably won't be paying attention to anything else." He rubbed his nose against the top of Teddy's head, making him giggle.

"Just tell people I'll be down soon." I flicked through my closet, not bothering to see if he left.

Three dresses later, I made my way downstairs. Jack's mother and brother had already arrived, and my family was just walking in the door. Viola, Lionel, and little George had been unable to make the trip from London, but Julie and her boyfriend, Steven, had come from St. Louis with my parents.

Everyone greeted each other, giving extra attention to Teddy, who was happily reclining in his uncle's arms.

Within fifteen minutes, the rest of our guests had arrived: Abigail, Becky, and Cody; Faith and Carson; Rosemary, Lee, and Alina; and Jesse, Clara, and baby Ally.

Jack rested his hand on my back. "The party's out back, so we can all head out there."

As soon as we were outside, Teddy squirmed until Tom set him down.

"Bee!" He and Alina both toddled after the dog, giggling.

"I can't believe how much he's grown since Christmas. Walking and talking; it won't be long before he's in school."

I groaned. "Don't talk like that. He and I have reached an agreement, and he's going to stay my baby forever."

Abigail put her hand on my shoulder. "I hate to break it to you, but it doesn't work that way." She chuckled. "I tried to keep Becky and Cody from growing up, and look at them now." She nodded toward her kids, who were out in the yard playing with Teddy and Alina.

...

I set aside the last of the gifts that Teddy had—not so carefully—opened and forced a smile onto my face. "I'll uh, go get the cake."

Once the door closed behind me, I hurried to the bathroom.

I leaned on the counter, taking deep breaths through my mouth and trying to will away the nausea that had decided to wash over me.

"Oh, baby, please." I rubbed my stomach. "You can't make me sick right now."

I slid to the floor, leaning my head back against the wall.

"Elizabeth?" Jack knocked lightly on the door. "Can I come in?"

"Yes."

"Hey, what's going on?"

"Morning sickness." I tucked my hair behind my ear. "It's not as predictable as it was with Teddy."

Jack joined me on the floor. "Can I get you anything?"

"A glass of ginger ale and a good excuse as to why I've been in here for so long." I smiled weakly.

He chuckled. "I can get you the ginger ale. We'll see about the excuse."

...

Jack took a seat beside me and handed me a damp cloth to clean off Teddy's face. "Can you believe it's been a whole year since this little man was born?"

I wiped away the icing and cake crumbs smeared across Teddy's cheeks. "It feels like it was just yesterday."

"What a day that was." He laughed.

"Wasn't he born in the bathtub?" Rosemary questioned.

"During a tornado, yes."

"That was a fun day." Abigail chuckled.

Steven nudged Julie. "You didn't tell me your nephew inherited your love of the dramatic."

She rolled her eyes and laughed. "Yeah, yeah." She held out her arms. "I think it's my turn to hold him again."

I finished cleaning him off and passed him to my sister.

"You're just a little chunk, aren't you?" She kissed his cheek, and he giggled.

"He was twenty-six pounds at his last checkup."

Julie rubbed her nose against his cheek. "What a big guy. Have you had a good birthday, buddy?" He reached up and touched her chin, babbling quietly. "Can you say 'auntie Julie'? Ju-lie. Ju-lie."

He just laughed, still touching her face.

I scooted closer to Jack, leaning against him. "I'm so glad we decided to keep his party small. This is perfect."

"He's perfect." He kissed my temple. "You're perfect."

I brushed my fingers across his jaw, pressing a kiss to his lips. "Thank you for accidentally getting me pregnant a year and nine months ago."

He chuckled and kissed my nose. "You're welcome."

...

Later that afternoon, Jack and I sat in the living room with our parents and siblings. Our friends had all left a few hours before, with a few last birthday wishes for Teddy.

The party had worn our little guy out, and he lay in my lap, fast asleep.

Charlotte took a sip of lemonade. "Lizzy, are you enjoying your summer break so far? I'm sure it's nice to relax a bit."

I chuckled. "It's not really much of a break with Teddy in the house. He's a fast little guy considering he's only been walking for a month. I feel like I spend all of my time chasing him around." I looked down at him, brushing the hair back from his forehead. "Except when he's napping," I added with a smile.

Jack nudged me. "Just think of how busy it's going to get in a few months."

"When school starts again?"

"Well," I looked over at Jack, and he gave a slight nod, "we, uh, haven't actually figured out what I'm going to do about teaching once the new baby comes."

My mom sputtered, nearly choking on her lemonade. "Did you just say 'new baby?'"

"You're pregnant?!" Julie squealed.

"Yes, I did, and yes, I am." I passed Teddy to Jack before I stood up. I cradled my stomach, pulling my dress tight and revealing the bump to my family. "Teddy will be getting a little brother or sister for Christmas."

Jack reached into his shirt pocket and produced the stack of ultrasound pictures. "Here's more proof if that bump isn't enough."

My dad looked at one of the pictures, a grin stretching across his face. "Maybe we'll get a granddaughter this time."

"Maybe." I smiled and sat back down, my hand on my stomach.

"When did you find out?"

"About a week ago. I'm just over twelve weeks along now."

"Well, congratulations."

...

Jack stood behind me, slipping his arms around my waist as we watched our son snoring quietly in his crib.

"Aside from that little bout of morning sickness, today was a good day, babe."

"A very good day," he agreed. "Two years ago, would you have imagined we'd be here?" He rubbed his thumbs back and forth on my stomach.

"Not at all, but our life is better than anything I could have imagined." I turned toward him. "I have you. We have our perfect, beautiful son, and we have another perfect baby on the way."

"I love you, Beth. And our babies." He kissed me deeply. "You three are my favorite people in the whole world."

"And you're our favorite person." I stood on my toes and kissed him again. "I love you, Jack Thornton."


	51. Chapter 51

I stood in the entryway with Jack, Teddy resting against my shoulder.

"Are you sure you have to leave, babe?" I touched Jack's cheek.

A couple of days after Teddy's birthday, Jack found out he would be going on another work assignment out of town. Neither of us was thrilled with the prospect. He hadn't had to go on any out of town assignments since he had been promoted just before Thanksgiving. The last time he had left, Teddy was just a tiny little baby.

He pulled me into his arms and kissed the top of my head. "You know I don't want to go. I'd much rather stay here with you and Teddy. It's just for two nights though, and I'll be home on Wednesday. Plus, it's a training, not a case, so there's no chance I'll have to stay longer."

"And you'll call?"

"Of course. As often as I can."

Teddy reached toward him, and I passed him to Jack.

"Hi there, buddy. I have to leave for a few days, but I'll be home really soon, okay? You be good for mama."

Teddy leaned forward and gave him a sloppy kiss on his cheek. "Dada."

Jack chuckled and kissed the top of his head. "I love you, Teddy Thornton."

I touched his arm. "Hey, Jack? Are you fine if I tell Abigail about the pregnancy? It's getting harder to hide it."

I looked down at my stomach, resting my hand on the small bump that had grown quite a bit in the week and a half since Teddy's birthday. I was already showing more than I had at the same point in my pregnancy with Teddy, and I was struggling to find loose T-shirts and dresses that could hide the bump. Jack put his hand beside mine.

"If you're ready to tell her, then I have no problem with that. You can tell all of our friends, if you want to."

I took our son from him. "Okay, you need to get going."

"Take care of yourself." He kissed me softly. "I love you, Elizabeth."

"I love you, too. Stay safe."

"I will. I'll let you know when I make it."

He kissed me once more before stepping through the front door.

"Well, Teddy Bear, what should we do today?"

He reached for the door. "Dada."

"I know. You want your daddy. He'll be back soon, though. How about we go play outside?"

...

I sighed when the sound of Teddy crying came over the baby monitor, waking me. I slipped out of bed and traipsed across the hall.

"What's wrong Teddy Bear?"

He lay in his crib, big tears rolling down his cheeks as he whimpered.

"Do you miss your daddy? I miss him, too." I lifted him from the crib. "How about we go snuggle for a while?" I rubbed his back as I made my way back to my room.

Even after I settled on the bed and leaned him against my chest, he continued crying.

I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and pulled up a picture of Jack. As soon as Teddy saw it, he stopped crying and reached toward the screen.

"That's all you wanted, huh? You just wanted to see your daddy." I kissed the top of his head. "I love you, Teddy. Are you ready to go back to bed now?"

"Mama." He grabbed my shirt, leaning further into me.

"Not yet? Okay. We'll just stay here for a little while longer."

I let him look at a few more pictures of Jack and told him some stories about when we were dating, then settled him in to nurse. Half an hour later, he was finally asleep again.

I stared at him as his little chest rose and fell with his breath. He looked just like Jack in his sleep, from the way his lips parted slightly to the single hand he tucked up by his face.

I kissed his forehead. "Sleep tight, Teddy Bear. Daddy will be home soon."

...

I was awakened the next morning by a tiny hand on my cheek. Teddy was leaning on Jack's pillow, a smile covering his face.

"Good morning, sweet boy." I smiled back at him. "Are you hungry? Do you want some breakfast?"

He nodded.

"How about we go have breakfast at Abigail's?"

He nodded again.

I picked him up and set him on the floor so I could rifle through my closet. "Okay, but we'll have to get dressed first."

I finally found a dress that mostly hid my belly—I didn't want Abigail to notice before I had a chance to tell her—and slipped it over my head.

"Your turn, Teddy Bear." I carried him across the hall to his room, setting him on the changing table and pulling a shirt and shorts from the dresser.

"Mama."

I pulled his arms through the sleeves of his shirt. "That's right. I'm your mama." I poked his belly, and he giggled.

"Mama love."

My heart melted. "Oh, buddy, you're such a sweetheart. I love you, too." I kissed the top of his head. "You're so much like your dad, Jack Edward."

He frowned. "No. Teddy."

I laughed softly. "But that's your name, bud. You're Jack Edward Thornton. Your daddy wanted to call you Teddy." I lifted him from the changing table and snuggled him close. "You're my little Teddy Bear, aren't you?"

"Mama eat."

"Okay, bud. We're leaving for Abigail's right now."

...

"Well, if it isn't two of my favorite Thorntons."

"You can say that we _are_ your favorites. I won't tell Jack." I smirked and set Teddy on the ground before I headed toward our usual booth.

He toddled over to Abigail, reaching his hands out. Abigail set down her pot of coffee and lifted my son from the floor.

"Good morning, Teddy Thornton. Are you and your mama here for breakfast? Do pancakes and fruit sound good?"

Teddy nodded excitedly.

Abigail carried Teddy around with her while she refilled coffee mugs. Teddy smiled and giggled, loving the attention that he was getting.

I found my hand drawn to my stomach, thinking about the new baby growing inside of me, wondering what he or she would be like. Would the baby be outgoing or inquisitive or quiet or excitable? Would we have another little clone of Jack, or a mixture of him and me?

"Elizabeth, are you feeling okay?" Abigail slid into the seat across from me, Teddy still in her arms. "Is your stomach upset?"

"No, no." I cleared my throat. "Actually, there's something I've been meaning to tell you."

Her eyes lit up, and she glanced between me and Teddy. "Are you…?"

"Yes. I'm due in December, about a week before Christmas." I brought my other hand to my stomach, smiling sadly. "After we lost the baby, we had decided to wait a while before we started trying again. But, you know, then Vancouver happened, and apparently we really need to learn to be more careful." I laughed softly.

"I'm so happy for you, Elizabeth."

I grinned. "Thank you."

"Now, I'll go get you those pancakes."

...

"Hi." I smiled when I saw Jack's face on the screen.

"Hi, Beth. How has your day been?"

"Good. Teddy and I went to Abigail's for breakfast. I told her about the baby." I drew my hand to my stomach. "She's really happy for us."

"She's probably happy for herself, too. Another baby to love. What is our group up to now? Three babies and two on the way?" He laughed softly.

"Something like that." My fingers danced across my belly. "Oh, speaking of the babies, Teddy told me he loved me today. That's the first time he's ever done that."

"Are you serious?"

"Mhmm." I nodded. "I was changing him this morning, and out of the blue, he said, 'mama love.'"

"I'm sad I missed it. That boy is such a sweetheart."

"That's exactly what I said. He's just like his dad." I grinned.

I heard Teddy start whining on the baby monitor.

"And there he is. I'll be right back, babe." I left my phone on the bed as I walked down the hall to Teddy's room.

He sat up in his crib, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Mama," he reached out his arms.

"Hi, Teddy Bear. Did you have a good nap?" I lifted him from the crib. "Let's change your diaper, and then I have a surprise for you."

Once he was freshly diapered, I carried him to my bedroom, sitting him in my lap so I could pick up my phone again.

Teddy's eyes lit up when he recognized his dad on the screen. "Dada!"

"Hey, buddy. How are you?"

He reached toward the screen. "Dada love."

"I love you, too, bud. And I'll see you really soon, okay?"

"Hey, Teddy," I brushed the hair back from his forehead, "can you tell your daddy about how you couldn't sleep last night because you missed him?"

"Really?"

"Mhmm." I nodded. "He woke up crying and didn't stop until I showed him pictures of you."

"I miss you, too, little man. Just one more night, and then the next night, I can put you to bed again, okay? We can handle one more night."

"I don't know if I can handle one more night. I think the longer we're married, the harder it is to be apart from you."

"I know what you mean. I can't even imagine how much harder it's going to be for me to leave once the little peach comes."

"Little peach? Where did that come from?"

"That's how big the baby is right now. I looked it up."

"You're adorable, Jack Thornton."

"Can you put the phone by your belly? I want to talk to our little peach."

"Uh," I chuckled, "I guess." I held the phone over my stomach.

"Hi, baby. It's your daddy. I miss you, and I love you. Are you being good for your mama? Don't you go making her sick, okay? You need to be nice to her; she's doing a lot to grow you and keep you comfortable."

I smiled as he talked to our unborn child, forever in awe that I was able to find such a wonderful man.

...

I woke the next morning when the front door closed. I rolled over and saw Bronte bolt down the hall. A few moments later, there were footsteps on the stairs.

"Hi, Beth." Jack leaned down and kissed my forehead.

"Hi, babe." I reached out and cupped the back of his neck, pulling him back toward me. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too." He pressed his lips to mine. "And I missed you, little peach." He put one hand on my belly, rubbing gently.

"Come here." I tugged on his shoulder, trying to pull him onto the bed.

"Hang on." He kicked off his shoes before sinking down beside me.

I snuggled into his chest. "I didn't expect you home this early."

"We got done with everything last night, so I was free to leave as soon as I woke up."

"You must've woken up awfully early."

He kissed the top of my head. "I don't sleep well without you."

"I don't sleep well without you, either." I peeked around him to look at the clock. "We have about forty-five minutes before Teddy wakes up, though."

"Mm," he wrapped his arms around me, "just enough time for a nice nap."

...

Half an hour later, I was hit with a wave of morning sickness. I slipped out of the bed carefully, trying not to wake Jack.

When he did finally wake ten minutes later, he found me sitting on the floor of the bathroom, leaning back against the wall.

He handed me a glass of water. "I was going to ask if you wanted to go out and do something today, but it would seem the baby has other plans."

"I'll be fine in a little while." I took a sip of water. "What did you have in mind?"

He shrugged, sliding down the wall to sit beside me. "We could take little man to the park." He took my hand. "Or if you're not feeling up to going out, we could set up the baby pool out back and let Teddy play in it for a while."

"We could do both. Have a picnic lunch at the park, and then come back and cool off in the baby pool."

"Are you sure you're up to it?"

I nodded. "I will be. I just need to get some food in my stomach."

"What can I get you?" He hopped up.

"Maybe just some dry toast for now."

"On it."

...

I came down the stairs, now dressed in a tank top and shorts. Jack was waiting by the front door with Teddy.

"Oh, there's our baby." He grinned, his eyes on my belly.

"I think we'll need to tell everyone at lunch on Sunday. There's not really any hiding this bump now." I ran my hands across my stomach.

"That's fine with me." He shifted Teddy to his hip, freeing up one hand to touch my stomach. "That's your little brother or sister in there, little man. What do you think about that?"

"Teddy, can you say 'baby'?"

He just glanced between me and Jack, looking confused.

Jack chuckled. "Maybe he'll figure out what this all means by the time the baby comes."

"Maybe." I picked up the picnic basket from the floor. "Ready to go?"

"I don't know. Teddy, are we ready to go to the park?"

He nodded emphatically.

"Then let's go."

After we enjoyed our picnic lunch, we took a little walk around the park. Jack slipped his fingers through mine while Teddy toddled a few feet ahead of us in the grass.

"What are you thinking about?"

"How happy I am that you're home."

He smiled and kissed my temple. "I'm happy I'm home, too. I love my job, but I love you and Teddy and little peach more."

"Is little peach just going to become the baby's nickname?" I chuckled.

"It's pretty cute." He shrugged. "We'll just have to see."

"Oh, I've been thinking we probably need to find somewhere else for Teddy to go during the day when I go back to work. Rosemary's going to have her hands full with Alina and the new baby. She shouldn't have to worry about Teddy, too."

"We'll figure something out." He squeezed my hand.

...

Jack pulled a chair up beside the little pool. "Your throne awaits."

I rolled my eyes and took a seat. "You goof."

Jack somehow fit himself into the tiny pool with Teddy, who was giggling as he splashed water everywhere.

"What about Nora?" He continued the conversation we had started on our way home from the park. "Wasn't that what you wanted to name Teddy if he had been a girl?"

"Yes. I don't know if it feels right for this baby, though." I rested my hands on my belly. "What about Henry for a boy?"

"I like that." He sprinkled water on Teddy's head, eliciting a big belly laugh from him. "What do you think, little man? What should we name your little brother or sister?"

Teddy just stared at him for a moment, then smacked his hand against the water.

"I like Blair or Hannah for a girl."

"Not Elizabeth?"

"How many times am I going to have to tell you that none of our children will be named Elizabeth?"

"What about Elizabeth as a middle name?"

"Maybe." I gave him a little smile. "But only if it goes well with the first name."

"Elizabeth goes with everything. Isn't it like, top five most common middle names?"

"Something like that. How do you know that, though?"

"I've been looking up baby names when things are slow at work. I like Amelia or Lucy."

"Any boy names?"

"I think it's a girl. If it _is_ a boy, we could name him after our dads."

"William Thomas or Thomas William?"

He shrugged. "I think both are good. We don't need to stress about it too much right now. Remember, we didn't have a name for Teddy until after he was born."

"Yes, and it was so strange for those first few minutes not having a name to call him. I want this one to have a name before it's born." I rubbed my belly. "Maybe it'll be easier this time around since we'll find out if it's a boy or a girl in a couple of weeks."

"Maybe."

...

I sat Teddy in the high chair and took a seat beside Rosemary.

"Elizabeth, please don't be offended if I'm wrong, but I couldn't help but notice that it looks like you might be…"

I laughed softly. "If you're about to say it looks like I might be pregnant, you're right." I smoothed my dress over my belly. "Getting close to three and a half months along. I'm due in mid-December."

"That's wonderful news! Congratulations."

"What are we congratulating Elizabeth for?" Clara leaned forward, peering around Rosemary.

"This baby." I touched my stomach.

"Oh, that's so exciting!"

"What's exciting?" Jesse shifted little Ally to his shoulder, patting her back gently.

I chuckled. "I'll just tell everyone." I stood and cleared my throat. The eyes of everyone around the table turned on me. "So I don't have to make this announcement a hundred more times," I cradled my stomach, a smile stretching across my face, "we're having another baby in December."


	52. Chapter 52

"Elizabeth, we're going to be late."

"No, we're not. You're just overeager, Jack Thornton." I carefully descended the remaining steps, trying to compensate for my changing center of gravity.

"Well, can you blame me? We're going to find out if our little peach is a boy or a girl today." He grinned and leaned in to kiss my cheek. "You look beautiful today, by the way."

"Yeah, yeah."

"I'm serious, Beth. You look beautiful every day, but there's something special about seeing you carrying our baby." He brushed his fingers across my stomach, a smile playing on his lips.

"Jack…"

He kissed me softly. "Okay, beautiful. We can't be late. I'll take Teddy next door. You just go get situated in the car."

I handed him the diaper bag. "Should I start the car while I'm at it? That could shave a few seconds off, really make sure we aren't late."

He rolled his eyes. "Make fun all you want. I'm just excited."

Despite his insistence that we were going to be late, we ended up arriving fifteen minutes early for my ultrasound appointment.

Once we were called back, Jack helped me up onto the exam table. I leaned back and lifted my shirt over my belly.

Jack held my hand as the technician moved the probe around, clicking some buttons and taking measurements of the baby. She explained everything she was doing and what she was seeing. She pointed out the baby's face and hands, the little feet and beating heart.

"The baby is in a really good position right now if you'd like me to tell you the sex."

I looked up at Jack, meeting his eyes. He gave a tiny nod, but I knew that he probably felt like he would explode with excitement.

I turned back to the technician. "Yes, please."

She moved the probe slightly to get a view of the baby from a different angle. "Well," she pointed at the screen, "it looks like you two are having a little girl."

Jack squeezed my hand, a wide grin stretching across his face. Tears filled my eyes.

"Congratulations." The technician handed me a towel to wipe the gel from my stomach. "She looks good."

"She's healthy?"

"Yes. Everything looks great. Her heart rate is right where it should be, and everything seems to be developing properly. She's right on track for twenty weeks." She stood. "I'll leave you to finish getting cleaned up."

"Thank you."

The moment the technician stepped out of the room, I burst into tears, and Jack pulled me into his arms, fighting tears himself.

"A girl. A little girl." He kissed my temple. "I love you, Beth. We're going to have a daughter!"

I wiped my eyes and kissed him. "I love you so much." I brought my hands to my stomach. "And you, baby girl. I love you so much, too." I looked back up at Jack. "I'm just so happy she's healthy."

"Me too." Jack put his hands next to mine. "A little Elizabeth."

I laughed. "I've told you so many times: our son may be named Jack, but that doesn't mean we're naming our daughter Elizabeth."

" _Our daughter_. Wow. I just can't believe it. I wonder what Teddy is going to think about having a sister."

"Probably the same thing he'd think if it was a brother: who's this creature stealing all of mom and dad's attention from me?"

He chuckled. "We'll just have to plan some special days for him after little Miss comes."

"That's a good idea."

"I have another good idea. Let's go somewhere for lunch before we go pick up the little man."

"You don't need to get to work? I thought you were working a half shift today."

He put his arm around my waist. "I am, but I don't have to be there until two."

"Okay, in that case, let's go have Mexican. I'm craving something spicy."

...

"So?" Rosemary passed Teddy to Jack. "Is everything good with the little one?"

"Everything is perfect." I smiled. "Good heartbeat, good growth."

"Should we tell her what else we learned?" Jack looked at me, eyebrows raised.

As much as I wanted to keep it a secret, I knew he was dying for everyone to know we were going to have a baby girl.

"Why not? Your little boy," I nodded toward Rosemary's stomach, then drew my hands to my own belly, "has a little girlfriend coming."

"Oh, a girl! That's so exciting! We'll both have one of each!" She rubbed her stomach. "Did you hear that, little guy? You're going to have a little girlfriend."

"How are you feeling? You're getting pretty close."

She smiled. "We're getting anxious for him to get here. Just two more weeks, give or take."

"How's Alina handling everything?"

"She's still convinced she's getting a sister."

"Oh dear. Well, I hope she's not too upset when he's born."

"You and me both." She chuckled.

"Beth." Jack touched my arm. "We should get home. I need to get changed for work."

"Oh, of course. Thank you for watching Teddy."

"Anytime."

...

"Guess what, Teddy Bear." I set him in my lap. "You're getting a baby sister."

He looked at me curiously, then pointed a little finger at my belly. "Baby?"

"That's right, bud. That's your baby sister in there." I gasped when she kicked. "She's saying 'hi' to you, Teddy. 'Hi, big brother.'"

He patted my belly gently.

"Are you saying 'hi' back? That's so sweet, Teddy. Your sister is going to love you so much, my sweet boy."

He looked up at me with a dimpled grin.

I touched his cheek. "You are just the cutest little thing, Teddy Bear."

"So, little man likes his sister?" Jack came out of the bathroom, running a towel over his hair.

"For now." I laughed softly as Teddy started rubbing my stomach. "We'll see if that lasts once she's here."

"Did you show him a picture?"

"No. I forgot about them."

He retrieved the stack of ultrasound photos from his nightstand and settled on the bed beside me. "Hey, Teddy. Here are some pictures of your sister. Want to see them?" He held a photo in front of Teddy. "Can you see that, little man? That's her face." He pointed at the picture as he spoke. "That's her nose, and her mouth, and that's her hand."

"Teddy, where's your nose?"

He looked at me for a moment, then touched his fingers to his nose.

"That's right, bud. That's your nose. Good job." I ruffled his hair, and he smiled.

"Beth, look at this one. She's sucking her thumb." Jack passed one of the pictures to me.

Sure enough, she had her hand up by her face, her thumb in her mouth.

"That's her left thumb she's sucking on. Maybe we'll have a little lefty."

"Maybe. Should we stock up on left-handed scissors?"

I laughed. "Probably not just yet."

Teddy crawled into Jack's lap and yawned.

"Is that your way of saying it's time for bed?" I brushed my fingers through his hair.

"I'll put him down." He handed me the rest of the pictures and scooped Teddy up. "Say good night to mama."

"Night, Teddy Bear." I kissed his cheek. "I love you."

"Mama love."

"Sweet boy." I smiled and tickled his belly.

...

Fifteen minutes later, Jack came back into our room, sinking down on the bed with a sigh. "He did not want to go to sleep."

"Too much excitement today. He got to play with Alina, he found out he's getting a sister."

"I still can't believe that's our little girl in there." He placed his hands on my stomach. "Little peach."

"She's bigger than a peach."

"I know. She's a banana now, but 'little peach' is way cuter than 'little banana.'" He brushed his thumbs back and forth, a smile spreading across his face. "So until she has a name, that's what I'm calling her." He kissed the top of my head. "You realize I was right about her being a girl."

"Yeah, yeah." I leaned back, tucking my head beneath his chin. "Hey, Jack? Would you have been this excited if it was a boy?"

"Of course. I mean, I've been thinking girl this whole time, so I'm excited that I was right, but I would have been just as excited if I was wrong. All that I care about is that we're having another happy, healthy baby."

"Can you believe we're already halfway to meeting her? Maybe more than halfway, if she decides to come early like Teddy did."

"I can't wait. She's going to be the cutest little girl there's ever been." I felt him smile against my hair. "I hope she looks like you."

"I hope she looks like _you_." I sighed contentedly, placing my hand on top of his. "She's moving a lot right now."

"Do I need to tell her to go to sleep?"

I laughed softly. "No. I'm enjoying it. She likes your voice."

"Oh, really?" He shifted in the bed so his face was closer to my belly. "Hi, little peach. Your mama and I are so excited to meet you in a few months. I think you'll like it out here. You have a big brother named Teddy, and we have two dogs in our house. Rip probably won't even notice you're here, but Bronte will want to play with you. Hopefully we'll have a name for you soon."

"Not Elizabeth."

He laughed. "Not Elizabeth," he agreed. He stretched up to kiss me. "We can start narrowing down the list, though."

"Laurel. Victoria. Meredith. Kate. Anne."

"Okay, now you've added five more names to our already too-long list." He smirked.

"I just want lots of options so she isn't nameless for the first hour of her life like Teddy was."

"We have four more months to pick one. I'm not worried about her being nameless. Besides, if anything, we can just name her Peach."

I laughed. "No way. That can be her nickname, but we are not naming her that." I touched his cheek. "We need to figure out the nursery situation, too."

"Can't we just keep the nursery how it is, and turn the guest room into Teddy's room?"

"I don't want to move Teddy until he's out of the crib, though."

He moved his hands back to my stomach. "I guess we could keep her in here with us until Teddy's ready for a bed. Then we can move her to the nursery." He kissed my temple. "We have plenty of time to figure this out."

"Yeah, it seems like plenty of time, but the next four and a half months are going to pass so quickly. We also need to decide what we're doing with Teddy for the few months I'm back at work."

"You could talk with Clara and Jesse, see where they take Ally when they work."

I threaded my fingers in his. "Good idea."

"I'm just full of those today."

"You're full of something, alright." I smirked.

He nudged me. "Hey."

"Maybe I meant that you're full of goodness."

"Goodness and tacos." He patted his stomach. "Good call on having Mexican for lunch."

I giggled. "You're a goof, Jack Thornton."

"But you love me." He pressed his lips to mine.

"I do. I love you a lot."

"I love you, too."

...

"Sorry I'm late. I had a little errand to run on my way home."

"Does your little errand have anything to do with that bag you're trying to hide?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Maybe." He gave me a sly smile, swinging the bag behind his back. "Let me get changed, and then I'll show you what it is."

"Hurry up, then."

"We'll see." He winked, then jogged up the stairs.

"What's your daddy up to, little one?" I rubbed my stomach. "He's so silly."

He came back downstairs just a few minutes later, bag still in hand. He set the bag in my lap, nodding for me to open it.

I stuck my hand inside and felt cloth. I pulled out a tiny red, green, and white plaid dress.

"I figured the little peach needs an outfit for Christmas since she's due right before then."

"Jack, this is adorable." I ran my fingers over the dress. "We can get her some tights and a bow to go with it or something."

"We should get a bowtie or something for Teddy that matches so we can take some cute pictures for a Christmas card."

I folded the dress and put it back in the bag. "Perfect." I set the bag aside and smiled at Jack. "Who would've guessed that you would be the one to buy our little girl her first dress?"

He shrugged. "What can I say? I'm just so excited."

"She's not even born, and she already has you wrapped around her little finger."

"I just love her so much."

"I know exactly what you mean." I cradled my stomach. "It's amazing how much we can love these little people before we even meet them."

"Our babies are so lucky to have you for a mom." He put his hand on the back of my neck, pulling me into a kiss.

"And they're lucky to have you as a dad. I love you so much."


	53. Chapter 53

A/N Thanks for all your kind comments! I hope you're ready for some more sweetness in this chapter :)

...

"Welcome to the third annual Thornton family end of summer camping trip." Jack stood beside the tent, arms outstretched.

I chuckled. "I think we need to come up with a shorter name for it." I drew my hands to my stomach as the baby started to move around. "Can you believe how much has changed over the past few years? Two years ago, it was just you and me and the dogs—and we were still a month away from getting married."

Jack scooped Teddy up when he toddled over to him. "And last year, this little guy was just a squirmy little baby."

"Now look at us. We have a toddler _and_ another squirmy little baby on the way."

"I wonder what next year's camping trip will look like." He kissed my temple. "Maybe _another_ squirmy little baby on the way?"

"Um, you're getting a little overeager there, babe. How about we wait until this one comes before we decide if we want another one?" I cradled my belly. "I'm hoping that next year's camping trip is just you, me, Teddy, baby girl, and the dogs."

"We might need to invest in a bigger tent at the rate our family is growing."

"But this one is so cozy." I slipped my arms around his waist and kissed his cheek. "It forces us to snuggle up."

"I don't need anything forcing me to snuggle with you." He smirked. "But while I appreciate its coziness, I'm not so sure our children will like it."

"I think it's probably fine while they're still tiny." I sighed contentedly, a smile spreading across my face. "I still can't believe we're going to have _children_ , plural." I grasped Teddy's hand. "Can you believe it, Teddy Bear? You aren't going to be the only baby in our house."

"Are you ready to have a baby sister, little man?"

Teddy shook his head. "No no no."

I laughed, spreading my fingers across my stomach. "Good thing he has a few more months to get ready."

"Yeah, good thing." He kissed me softly. "Now, what should we do first? Fishing? Hiking?"

"I was thinking something more along the lines of having a snack and then taking a little nap."

"Those aren't really camping activities." He pretended to pout.

"They are for those of us who are currently growing a human."

"Touché. Well, I'm a little amped up, so I guess Teddy and I can take the dogs for a walk. You can stay here and relax." He touched my stomach and smiled. "Or should I say you _two_ can stay here and relax?"

I kissed Teddy's cheek. "You listen to daddy, okay? I love you, Teddy Bear."

"Mama love."

I smiled and touched his cheek before standing on my toes to kiss Jack. "Be careful. Don't go tripping over roots or anything."

"I won't."

"And you better bring our son back in one piece."

"We'll be fine. Won't we, little man?" He tickled Teddy, eliciting a big belly laugh.

"Okay, you two go have your father-son time." I covered my mouth as I yawned. "Baby girl and I need our nap."

"Have fun." He winked and kissed me one more time before taking the dogs and Teddy toward the trail into the trees.

I settled into the sleeping bag, exhaustion immediately overtaking me.

What felt like just minutes later, I was being nudged awake.

"Mama." Teddy pressed his little hands against my face. "Mama up."

I blinked sleepily. "Hey, Teddy Bear."

"Sorry I let him wake you. He kept asking for you, and he was starting to get frustrated with me saying he had to wait."

"It's fine." I stretched my arms, then sat up slowly. "How was your walk?"

"Good, except little man here has decided he thinks it's funny to try to eat dirt."

I wrapped my arms around Teddy when he crawled into my lap. "Oh dear. Please tell me you didn't let him _actually_ eat any."

"Of course not. I carried him the rest of the way after that happened." He took a seat on the sleeping bag beside me. "How was your nap?"

"Wonderful. Thank you for taking Teddy so I could have some quiet. I think baby girl has been doing a lot of growing lately, because I've been exhausted."

He leaned over and kissed me. "I'm happy to help however I can."

...

"Morning, babe." I stretched up to kiss him deeply. "Happy birthday."

"Mm, thank you." He smiled and rested his hand on my cheek.

Teddy sighed in his sleep and wedged himself even tighter between us.

"Is that comfortable?" Jack laughed softly, nodding at Teddy's little feet pressing against my ribs.

I shook my head and smiled. "Not really, but I like having both of our babies right here. Even when they both have their feet in my ribs." I reached out and pushed Teddy's hair back from his forehead.

"Little peach, too?"

"Mhmm. She wedged herself up there early this morning and woke me up with her kicking."

"Have I mentioned lately how grateful I am to you for carrying our babies?"

"I think you've mentioned it once or twice." I smirked.

His face grew serious. "I mean it, Beth. I know it's not easy."

"It's not," I agreed. "But I'm so lucky to be able to carry them safely, and it's all worth it."

"You're amazing, Elizabeth Thornton." He touched his nose to mine. "I have no idea what I did in my life to deserve you."

"I love you."

He kissed me softly. "I love you more."

"So, birthday boy, what do you want to do today?"

"Maybe some fishing later, but right now, all I want to do is just stay right here with my three favorite people." He slipped his arms around me, pulling me as close as he could with Teddy and my belly between us.

"That's a good plan." I smiled and leaned against his shoulder, dozing off as his fingers traced patterns across my back.

...

Jack cast his line before taking a seat beside me on the grassy shoreline. Teddy climbed into his lap and reached for the pole.

"Careful, Teddy." He gently moved Teddy's hands away from the pole. "We have to hold this steady and just wait. You can help me reel it in if we catch anything." He glanced over at me. "We have a backup for dinner if we don't catch any fish, right?"

I chuckled and nodded. "Of course. I couldn't risk baby girl missing a meal."

"You know, you could help try to catch something." He raised his eyebrows and pointed at my fishing pole, which was laying in the grass beside me.

"Maybe in a bit. I'm enjoying the view right now." I grinned at him. "Gosh, I love you both so much. My boys."

Teddy was staring up at him. "Dada."

Jack kissed the top of his head. "You know, these are the kinds of things I dreamed about when we first started talking about having kids. Sitting out by the lake, fishing with my boy."

"Will you teach baby girl to fish, too?"

"Of course. I'll teach all of our babies how to fish and how to ride a horse and how to rock an apron." He smirked.

"That reminds me that your present is in the car."

"So you got me another apron?"

I shrugged. "Maybe. You'll have to wait and see."

...

"Dance with me?" Jack held out his hand.

"Always."

He held me as close as he could as we swayed in the firelight. "I love this. Dancing with my two girls." He leaned his forehead against mine. "This is the best way to end my birthday."

"Good." I kissed him softly. "Hey, I think I have a name for baby girl."

"You mean you narrowed it down from the list of a thousand names?" He smirked.

"Ha ha. It's actually one you suggested, or a variation of it, I guess."

"Are you going to tell me?"

"I will, on one condition."

"What's that?"

"If you like it, and we decide it's her name, we keep it just between us for now."

"I can agree to that."

I brushed my lips against his ear, whispering the name to him.

He stopped swaying, looking past me as he thought about it. "Hm…"

"What do you think?"

He met my gaze again. "It's perfect. I love it."

"So, that's her name?"

"That's her name," he confirmed, then he started us turning in slow circles again. "Although, I still think little Elizabeth would've been a good name."

I rolled my eyes and laughed. "Incorrigible."

"What? She would be Elizabeth the Second, like the Queen! How perfect would that be?"

I shook my head. "Babe, you'd better stop right now before I change my mind about Elizabeth being her middle name."

"Fine." He smiled and kissed my nose. "Love you."

"I love you, too, birthday boy."

...

I turned to glance into the back of the car. Teddy was sound asleep in his car seat. The dogs were both curled up; Rip was snoring softly, and Bronte had one ear cocked, her eyes on Teddy.

"Everyone still doing okay back there?" Jack looked over at me out of the corner of his eye.

"Yes." I reached for my phone when it buzzed.

"Who's that?"

I finished sending my response. "Lee. Apparently, Rosemary went into labor early this morning."

"Man, one day sooner and their little guy could've shared my birthday."

"This is better, though. Your birthday should be all about you. Not all about you _and_ their baby." I reached across the center console and took his hand, squeezing it gently. "Because you know Rosemary is going to make a huge deal out of his birthday every year."

"Oh, shoot, we're supposed to watch Alina for them, aren't we?"

"Yes. It's fine, though. He just said they haven't left for the hospital yet, and we should make it back home before they head out."

Within half an hour, we found ourselves back in Hope Valley, standing on our porch with Rosemary and Lee.

"Okay, here's her bag." She handed it to Jack. "There are a few days' worth of clothes in there and plenty of diapers. There's a spare key to the house in the inside pocket just in case we're gone longer than we expect and you need to get more of her things."

"Rosie, we need to go." Lee tugged on her arm. "We don't want you giving birth in the car, do we?"

Ignoring him, she turned back to me. "Oh, she doesn't like blueberries, but she'll eat just about anything else."

"Rosemary, we'll be fine here." I shifted Alina to my other shoulder. "Right, girlie?"

Alina nodded.

"Say bye to your mama and daddy."

"Bye, mama. Bye, daddy."

Lee and Rosemary bid her goodbye, finally heading to their car after Rosemary had another contraction.

Jack put a hand on my back as we walked into the house. "Well, what should we do now?"

"Maybe have a snack and watch a movie?"

" _Sound of Music_?"

"Obviously."

He smiled and shook his head. "I'll get Teddy and set it all up."

...

Rosemary's labor was short. By the time the movie was over, baby boy Coulter had been born. Once we got the okay from Lee to come visit, we loaded the kids into the car and headed for the hospital, dropping Teddy off with Abigail on the way.

Alina reached for Lee the moment we entered the room.

Rosemary smiled, shifting the little baby in her arms. He was the spitting image of Lee, with a head full of dark hair and a serious expression etched on his tiny face.

"Say hello to Matthias Gray Coulter."

"He's beautiful, Rosie."

"I know you're dying to hold him." She held him out. "Go ahead."

I gave her a grateful smile and lifted the baby from her arms.

"Hello, Matthias." I ran a finger across his soft cheek. "I'm your Auntie Beth. This is your Uncle Jack."

"We live right next door, so if you ever need a break from your parents, you can come over." Jack winked at Rosemary, who just rolled her eyes.

"We have a little boy who's just over a year older than you, and we're going to have a little girl in a few months, so you already have some playmates. And speaking of playmates, I think your big sister is eager to meet you." I returned little Matthias to Rosemary's arms.

"Bring her here, Lee." Rosemary held out one arm, tucking Alina against her side when Lee lowered her to the bed. "Hi there, honey. This is your brother, Matthias."

Alina shook her head. "No bruder."

Lee chuckled. "Sorry, sweets. He's ours."

"We'll go to the waiting room, give you guys some family time. Just let us know when you're ready for us to take Alina home."

"And congrats." Jack clapped Lee on the back.

"Thank you both."

...

A week later, Rosemary and Lee were back home with little Matthias, and they were getting settled in as a family of four.

Meanwhile, I was spending my days chasing after Teddy, getting things ready to go back to work, and preparing the house for the new baby.

Jack came home from work and found me sitting in the middle of our bed, sorting through the clothes Teddy had outgrown for things we could keep for our daughter.

"Dada!" Teddy dropped his bear and reached toward Jack.

He ruffled his hair. "Hi, little man. I missed you today." He leaned over and kissed the top of my head. "I missed you, too."

"How was work?"

"Good. We've finally made some progress on the case we're working on."

"That's good." I continued folding onesies and stacking them beside me.

"How's our little peach doing today?"

"She's good." I stopped folding and rested my hands on my stomach. "She's got tons of energy. I don't think she's stopped moving since I woke up this morning."

His eyes lit up. "Do you think I'll be able to feel her now?"

"Let's see." I grabbed his hand and placed it on my stomach where the baby was kicking.

His lips curled up into a smile at a particularly strong kick. "I felt that." He leaned down and kissed my belly. "Hi, Em. I love you."

"I have a feeling she's going to be a daddy's girl."

"What makes you think that?"

I put my hand on his. "When you talk to her like that, she stops moving for a second. It's like she's really trying to listen to you."

"Really?"

"Mhmm. I noticed her doing it a couple times before, but it's just been recently that I realized she does it every time you talk to her."

"That's amazing." He leaned back down. "So, I should talk about interesting things since you're listening to me, eh? Hm… How about I tell you all about how amazing your mama is?"

"Jack…"

"Hush." He put one hand on either side of my stomach. "Anyway, about your mama. I met her two and a half years ago when I moved in next door to her. I knew she was special the very first time I saw her. Then she baked me some cookies, and man, I knew I was a goner right then and there. She's a wonderful baker; just wait until you try her gooey butter cake. And she's the very best mom. Just ask your brother." He smiled at Teddy. "Your mama is so patient and kind, and she gives the best hugs. You're going to love her so much. _I_ love her so much."

I pulled him up by the shoulder and pressed my lips to his. " _I_ love _you_ so much."


	54. Chapter 54

"Beth? Where's the diaper bag?" Jack called out from across the hall.

"It should be next to the dresser."

"Found it!"

I slipped my earrings in as I crossed the hall to the nursery. "There should be extra clothes and diapers in it, but can you double check?"

He peered into the bag. "I see some extra diapers and some extra clothes in here. Do I need to go put any snacks in it or anything?"

"No, they'll have snacks for him there."

"Okay." He slung the bag on his shoulder, then lifted Teddy from the crib. "I think we're ready to go."

"So, let's go over this one more time."

"I'm dropping him off on my way to work. You're picking him up after. I'll be home about an hour after you, and then we're going to Abigail's for dinner." He kissed my temple. "We've got this, Beth. Team Thornton."

I smiled. "Team Thornton."

"You need to get going."

I sighed. "I know. Have a good day, Teddy Bear. I'll see you soon." I kissed Teddy's cheek, then leaned up to kiss Jack. "You have a good day, too. Stay safe, babe."

He kissed me again. "I will. I love you."

...

I stood outside my classroom, watching students wander the halls toward their classes. I smiled when a familiar face approached me.

"Mrs. Thornton!" She hugged me tightly.

"Hello, Opal! How are you?"

"Good! I'm in fourth grade this year!"

"I know! You've gotten so big. Are you excited for this year?"

She nodded eagerly. "Yes, but I wish _you_ could be my teacher every year."

"You'll have so much fun in Mrs. Montgomery's class, though."

She looked right at my stomach. "Are you having a baby?"

I chuckled. "I am, a little girl. She should be born right before Christmas."

"You should name her Opal."

"Opal is a beautiful name, but we've already picked a name for her."

"How old is your other baby?"

"Teddy is a year old now. He'll be one and a half when his baby sister is born." I pulled out my phone and opened a picture of Jack and Teddy from our recent camping trip to show her.

"Is your sheriff happy to have another baby?"

"He's very happy. He loves being a dad." I showed her a few more pictures, then put my phone back in my pocket. "Now, you'd better get to class. We don't want you to be late."

"Bye, Mrs. Thornton." She hugged me one more time before scurrying off down the hall.

...

"Hello, everyone. I'm Mrs. Thornton. Welcome to second grade! I'm so happy that you're all in my class this year! Now, I'll tell you a little bit about myself before we get to our first assignment."

I turned and started writing on the board.

"As I said before, my name is Mrs. Thornton, and I'm married to Sheriff Thornton. We have a one-year-old son named Teddy, and we have two dogs, named Rip and Bronte. We're also going to have a baby girl around Christmastime, but her named is a secret. Now," I turned back to my class, "I want all of you to take out a spiral notebook and write a few sentences about yourself. You'll be writing in this notebook throughout the school year, so make sure you take care of it."

"Mrs. Thornton?" Another hand went up.

"Yes?"

"What kind of things do we write about ourselves?"

"It can be anything you want me to know about you, kind of like the things I just told you about myself. You can write about who's in your family, what your favorite food is, how you spend your free time, things like that. The one rule is that you need to practice writing in complete sentences."

...

Teddy traipsed through the yard after Bronte, laughing loudly.

"I thought I heard little man laughing out here."

I turned to see Jack standing on the back porch. "Hi."

He crossed the yard, pulling me into a hug and kissing my cheek. "Hi, beautiful." He sighed.

"You okay, babe?"

"I'm fine. Just had a long day at work. I'm much better now that I'm home with you."

"Are you still up to going to Abigail's later? We could stay home if you want, order some pizza or something."

"No, we can go. Abigail is probably missing Teddy."

"You mean since she saw him at church yesterday, and then again at lunch?" I chuckled.

He shrugged. "I missed him, and I just saw him this morning."

"Okay. Head over there in an hour?"

"Yeah." He took a few steps over to Teddy, crouching down to his level. "Hi, bud. I'm very happy to see you." He lifted him onto his knee, holding him tightly. "I love you, Teddy Thornton."

They stayed like that for a few moments until Bronte barked and Teddy started to squirm, wanting to get back to chasing the dog.

Jack released him and returned to my side. He kissed me softly. "I'm going to go lie down for a bit."

I touched his cheek. "Jack, are you sure you're up to going out?"

"Yes. I promise I'm fine. Just tired."

I watched him walk inside, trying to figure out what was going on. I knew something had to have happened at work that he wasn't telling me.

"Come here, Teddy." I held out my hand, and he toddled toward me. "Let's go in." I groaned as I lifted him up, something that was getting more difficult as he got heavier and his sister got bigger inside me.

I slowly made my way inside and up the stairs. I found Jack stretched out on our bed, staring at the ceiling.

I set Teddy on the bed, then lay down beside my boys. "Jack, what's really going on with you? I know it's not just exhaustion."

"Nothing. It was just a hard day."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He sighed, reaching for Teddy as he spoke. "We got a call today about a case of neglect. It wasn't the first time we've had to respond to one of those, but this time, it was a little boy about Teddy's age and a baby girl just a few weeks old. I guess it just really got to me."

"Are they safe now?"

He shrugged. "I hope so. We took them to the hospital. Once they're healthy, they'll go into a foster home, hopefully together." He rolled onto his side and reached over to rest a hand on my stomach. "How can someone do that, Beth? To anyone, but let alone to innocent children? I don't understand."

"I don't know, Jack. I don't understand it, either."

He leaned his forehead against mine and closed his eyes. Within a few minutes, his breathing had evened out, and I knew he was asleep.

I carefully slipped from the bed and quietly carried Teddy from the room.

"What do you say we go get some dinner so daddy can rest a while longer?"

...

Teddy toddled in front of me, heading straight toward the counter where Abigail was standing.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite customers."

"Up." Teddy held out his arms, and Abigail lifted him from the floor.

"Hi, Abigail. Can we get some fried chicken and coleslaw to go?"

"Sure." She shifted Teddy into one arm and wrote down the order before sending it back to the kitchen. "Is Jack working late today?"

"No. He had a hard day at work, so he's home resting."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I hope he has a better day tomorrow."

"So do I."

"And today was your first day back? How did it go?"

"It was good. I think I have a good group of students this year."

"That's good."

"It's a shame that I'll have to leave them for a couple of months when baby girl comes."

"Speaking of baby girl, how's she doing?"

I smiled, cradling my stomach. "She's doing well. She's been a little tumbleweed lately. She doesn't like to stay in one position for long."

"Peter was the same way before he was born." She chuckled. "I think he got frustrated in there once he was too big to flip around all the time."

"As much as I'm looking forward to this one reaching that point, I don't want it to be too soon. Teddy was so big that he stopped flipping before the third trimester. I don't need another nine-and-a-half-pound baby."

"I always forget he was that big." She kissed the top of his head. "You're a big guy, aren't you, Teddy?"

"He definitely is. He's never dipped below the 95th percentile in weight since he was born."

"Well, I'll be praying that baby girl isn't quite that big."

I laughed. "You and me both."

...

Teddy sat on the kitchen floor, playing with a spoon, while I plated our dinner.

"Mama. Eat."

"We'll eat soon. We just need to wait for daddy."

"Wait for me for what?" Jack entered the kitchen, brushing his fingers through his sleep-tousled hair. "It smells wonderful in here."

"Teddy and I ran to Abigail's to pick up dinner. I know you said you were okay with going out, but you needed rest. I got fried chicken and coleslaw." I reached into the bag and pulled out a little box of cookies. "And Abigail threw in some free cookies."

"Mm. Well, let's eat."

"Hey." I put my hand on his arm. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Much." He kissed me softly. "Thank you for ignoring when I said I was up to going out to dinner."

"Anytime."

"Hey, does that mean you're going to start ignoring me?"

I turned away from him, trying to keep from laughing as I carried the plates to the table.

"Elizabeth? Are you ignoring me?"

I set down our plates, still not responding.

"Elizabeth? Hello?"

I laughed. "Sorry. I'm just having a little fun." I nudged him with my elbow.

"Having fun at my expense. Figures."

I shrugged. "That's what marriage is all about, babe."

"Yeah, yeah." He smiled and rolled his eyes. "Can we eat now? I'm starved."

"Eat!" Teddy tugged on my dress.

"Come here, little man." Jack scooped him up, swinging him in the air. "You can sit with me since your sister takes up most of mama's lap now." He winked and pulled out my chair for me.

"I'd argue with you about that, but you aren't wrong." I took a seat and looked down at my belly, which was nearly touching the edge of the table even before Jack pushed my chair in. "This daughter of yours better not be as big as Teddy was, or you won't be getting any more children out of me."

"Unless I accidentally get you pregnant again."

I chuckled. "You are good at that."

"One of my many talents." He winked and settled into his own seat with Teddy in his lap.

"You're just lucky that the outcome is so cute."

...

A few days later, Jack came home from work to find me sitting on the edge of the bed and staring out the window.

"Elizabeth? Are you okay?"

I took a shaky breath, trying to will away the tears that were threatening to fall. "No."

"What's going on?" He sank down beside me. "Is it work?"

I shook my head. "No. Work is fine."

"Is it the baby?"

"No, she's okay, too. Moving like crazy, as usual." I sighed. "Today was my due date with Owen. We should've been meeting him." I cradled my stomach.

"Oh, Beth." He pulled me into his arms.

"I miss him."

Jack reached up and wiped the tears from my cheek. "I miss him, too." He inhaled deeply, tightening his arms around me. "I think about him all the time."

"Why did we have to lose him?"

He kissed my hair. "I don't know, Beth. I don't know. This is just one of those things that we'll probably never understand."

We sat like that for a few minutes, not talking, just holding each other.

He touched my chin, lifting my face to his. "I'll be right back." He kissed me softly and left the room, heading down the hall. He returned a few moments later, Teddy in one arm and a box in the other. "Here." He put the box in my lap, then settled into his spot beside me.

Tears filled my eyes again when I realized he had brought me the Owen box. I lifted the lid, running my fingers across the pregnancy test and tiny knit hat before finally pulling out one of the ultrasound photos.

"I thought it might be nice to have all three of our babies together for a little while, at least. Teddy," he kissed our son's forehead, then brushed his fingers across the picture in my hands, "Owen, and Em," he rested his hand on my stomach.

I reached over and touched Jack's cheek, smiling through my tears. "Thank you."

"I love you, Beth. You and our three babies are the very best things in my life."

...

A/N Thanks for keeping up with this story and for all the kind words! I'll try not to make you wait too much longer to meet baby girl Thornton!


	55. Chapter 55

A/N I hope you all have had a wonderful holiday season! Here's a little Thornton sweetness for you :)

...

"Jack, we're going to be late."

"Calm down, I'm coming." He came down the stairs, straightening his tie. "How do I look?"

"You look handsome. So handsome, in fact, I think I want to have your babies. Oh, wait." I smirked and put my hands on my stomach.

"You look beautiful." He leaned in and kissed me. "Ready to go?"

"Mhmm, just as soon as we say bye to Teddy. Your mom took him out back to play."

"Okay." He followed me out the back door. "Ma? We're going to head out now."

Charlotte picked up Teddy and carried him over to us. "Have fun, you two."

"Bye, Teddy Bear." I kissed his forehead. "Have fun with grandma Charlotte."

"Be good, little man." Jack kissed him, then leaned over and kissed his mother's cheek. "Thank you for watching him. We shouldn't be out too late."

"You enjoy yourselves, and don't worry about us. We'll be fine here. Right, Teddy?"

"Okay. Bye, buddy." Jack waved, then put his hand on my back and led me to the car.

...

Faith and Carson were in the middle of the dance floor, turning slowly to the soft music playing over the speakers.

"They make such a lovely couple."

I nodded. "They do. And what a beautiful night for a wedding."

"It really is so nice tonight." Rosemary sighed, looking wistfully into the distance.

"Missing your kids?"

She nodded. "It's nice to have some time away from them, but it's my first time out of the house without Matthias since he was born. I forgot how tough the first outing is."

"Tough, but necessary," I agreed. "Are you all settling in okay, then?"

"Mostly. Alina still hasn't decided how she feels about having a brother." She chuckled. "I think she's still upset he's not a sister."

"Oh dear. I really hope Teddy is okay with having a sister."

"When are you due again?"

"About a week and a half before Christmas." I put my hands on my stomach. "Unless, of course, she decides to come a few weeks early like Teddy."

"So you're almost in the home stretch now, the last trimester."

I nodded. "I know she needs to stay in there for a few more months, but I'm so anxious to meet her."

"Does she have a name yet?"

"Yes." I moved my hand across my stomach, to the place where the baby was moving around. "You don't get to find out what it is until she's born, though."

"Oh, come on! Please tell me!"

I shook my head and laughed. "Nope. Only Jack and I know. Our parents don't even know her name, yet."

"What are you ladies talking about over here?" Jack put his hand on my shoulder.

I looked up at him. "Rosemary is trying to convince me to tell her our daughter's name."

He chuckled and looked at Rosemary. "Good luck with that. She won't even let me say her name out loud when we're alone in our house."

Lee raised his eyebrows. "Wow. That's some real dedication to keeping that secret."

"Honestly, I'm a little surprised she told me the name in the first place."

I hit his arm lightly. "Jack Thornton."

"Well, anyway, if you ladies can find a stopping point in this conversation, I think it's time for us to head over to the dance floor." He held out his hand, and I slipped my fingers into his.

Rosemary and Lee followed right behind us.

Jack put one hand on the small of my back, keeping me as close as he could with my belly between us. As we swayed, the baby kicked the front of my stomach, hard.

"Did our daughter just kick me?" He laughed softly, his breath tickling my ear.

I smiled. "I guess she doesn't like our dancing."

He dropped his hand from my back, moving it to my stomach. "Well, she better get over that." He leaned down and kissed me slowly. "Dancing with you is still one of my favorite things."

...

A week and a half later, I woke to Jack's lips on my cheek.

"Happy anniversary, Beth."

"Mm, happy anniversary." I pressed my lips to his. "I can't believe it's been two years."

"Are you tired of me yet?"

"Never." I kissed him again, scooting closer to him. "I love you, Jack Thornton."

"I love you, Elizabeth Thornton."

"Oh." I gasped and moved my hand to my stomach when the baby kicked me. "Baby girl is awake."

Jack shifted down in the bed and kissed my belly. "Good morning, Em. It's your daddy again. I love you. You be nice to your mama today, okay?"

I reached down to run my fingers through his hair. "Have I told you lately how happy I am to have you as the father of my babies? We're all very lucky to have you."

He moved back up in the bed and kissed me, keeping a hand on my belly. "I say we're lucky to have _you_. I can't imagine making and raising babies with anyone else."

"Jack Thornton, you better not be imagining making babies with anyone else."

"I just said I _can't_ imagine it." He chuckled.

"Well, don't even _try_ to imagine it."

"Don't worry. You are even better than anything I could ever dream up."

I smiled and touched his cheek. "You sweet-talker. So, what do you have planned for our anniversary celebration tonight?"

"Not telling." He kissed my nose and slipped out of bed.

"Have I ever mentioned how infuriating you can be sometimes?"

He grinned. "But you love me anyway."

...

"Sorry I couldn't wear my blue dress this year."

"Don't be sorry." He kissed my temple. "It's kind of my fault, anyway. I just had to go and get you pregnant." He gave me a mischievous smile and took my hand, leading me into the restaurant.

"You're really going all out this year. This is the fanciest place in Hope Valley."

"Only the best for you. And don't worry, I checked the menu ahead of time to make sure there are some spicy options for you."

"It's not for _me_ , it's for your daughter."

He chuckled. "Okay, then there are some spicy options for our little peach."

"Mm, peaches sound good."

He shook his head and smiled as he pulled out the chair for me. "I can't keep up with your cravings."

After a delicious—and spicy—meal and a dessert of warm peach cobbler and freshly-made ice cream, Jack drove us toward our neighborhood.

"Where are we going?" I questioned when he turned the opposite direction from our house.

"The night's not over yet." He glanced over at me and grinned, eyes sparkling in the light from the setting sun.

"That wasn't an answer," I grumbled.

He laughed quietly. "You'll find out where we're going soon."

A few minutes later, he parked the car against the curb.

"Jack, is this…?"

He stepped out of the car, walking around to my side to help me out. He took my hand. "Take a walk with me."

He was quiet as we meandered through the trees, eventually reaching the meadow.

"Jack…"

He leaned in and kissed me softly. "This is the exact spot where I asked you to marry me."

"I remember. That was one of the best days of my life."

"I didn't think it was possible, but somehow, I love you even more today than I did back then." He kissed me again. "Will you dance with me?"

"Always." I slipped my hands behind his neck, and we swayed in the dimming light. "I love you more than anything else in the world, Jack Thornton."

...

Abigail greeted us when we walked in the door. Teddy was leaning on her shoulder, awake but obviously tired. "So, everything is fine, but he spiked a fever, so I called Carson. He just said to keep an eye on him tonight, and bring him in tomorrow if the fever hasn't gone down."

"Oh, poor baby." I took my son from her, and he snuggled into me.

"He's been acting fine, though. I wouldn't worry." She rubbed his back. "How was your evening?"

I smiled and looked over at Jack. "Wonderful."

"Thank you for watching Teddy so we could go out."

"Of course." She squeezed Jack's shoulder. "I'll watch him any time. Baby girl, too, once she's born."

"Thank you."

"Well, I should get going. Good night, you two. And good night, sweet boy. I hope you feel better." She kissed Teddy's cheek.

Twenty minutes later, I was on the floor in the master bathroom, rinsing the last of the soap off of Teddy.

"Well, this isn't really how I expected to be spending the last few hours of our anniversary." I lifted Teddy from the tub, passing him to Jack.

He wrapped him up in a towel, lifting him up on his hip. "It could be worse."

"True."

He reached down and took my hand to help me up. "Family sleepover tonight?"

"Sounds perfect." I kissed him softly.

"Why don't you go get changed, and I'll get little man dressed?"

"Let him pick out a couple of books, too."

"Did you hear that, bud? You get to pick out a couple of books for mama and me to read to you." Jack kissed my cheek and carried our son out of the room.

I changed into my pajamas and pulled on my robe before heading downstairs to get a drink for Teddy. A few minutes later, he toddled into the bedroom, followed by Jack.

"Mama." He held up a book for me.

" _The Cat in the Hat_. Good choice, Teddy Bear."

"He's in a Dr. Seuss mood tonight." Jack held up two more books: _Green Eggs and Ham_ and _Hop on Pop_.

"Apparently he is." I chuckled.

"Come on, little man." Jack picked him up and put him on the bed.

I handed Teddy a sippy cup of warm milk, and he snuggled up between us. Jack grabbed one of the books and began to read. I brushed my fingers through Teddy's hair as he stared at the pictures in the book, sipping his milk all the while.

Just a few pages into the third book, Teddy dozed off, milk dribbling down his chin. Jack set the book aside and wiped off Teddy's face.

He brushed his fingers across his forehead. "He still feels warm."

"Well, he can't go to daycare if he's sick, so I guess I'll take off work to stay with him tomorrow."

"I can stay home. You're already going to miss a couple of months when baby girl is born."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded. "I'll take any excuse for a little extra father-son bonding time."

"Okay. Thank you." I slipped out of my robe and dropped it beside the bed before I shifted down in the bed.

"This is new." Jack fingered the lace neckline of my nightgown.

I nodded, giving him a mischievous smile. "A little gift for you for our anniversary. Sorry you can't fully appreciate it."

"Oh, we'll definitely be finding a time for that." He kissed me softly. "I love you, Beth. Thanks for marrying me."

"Thanks for asking me to marry you." I touched his cheek, brushing my thumb across his lips. "And thank you for making these past two years the best years of my life. I love you, Jack Thornton."

...

"Well hello, Faith _Shepherd_."

She smiled, her cheeks turning pink. "I'm still not quite used to that."

"So, how's married life treating you?"

"It's been good. It's a little strange living with someone after being on my own for a few years. And don't get me started on sharing a bed." She chuckled. "Who knew men take up so much space in their sleep?"

I laughed. "Yeah, that does take some getting used to."

"Anyway, enough about me. Let's check on you and this little girl of yours."

After she checked my heart rate and blood pressure, I leaned back on the bed, lifting my shirt over my belly.

"Anything changed since your last appointment? Any concerns?" she questioned while she took some measurements and felt around my stomach.

I shook my head. "No, not really. She still been moving a lot. It's just getting more uncomfortable as she gets bigger, but nothing out of the ordinary."

"Good. Well," she straightened up, "she seems to be growing just as she should be. Are you feeling her movement more in one side than the other?"

I thought about it for a moment. "Now that you mention it, yes. Usually the left side."

She nodded. "That makes sense. She's lying sideways in there."

"Is that bad?"

"No. Most babies will lie sideways for part of the pregnancy. The majority are upright by this point, but your little one still has plenty of time to turn. Now, if she's still sideways at your next appointment, I'll give you a list of some things you can try to encourage her to turn head-down."

"But she'll be okay?"

Faith nodded. "She'll be fine. She's doing great, Elizabeth. I know you're going to worry no matter what I tell you, but you really don't need to be concerned. As always, let me know if anything changes before I see you again."

"I will. Thanks, Faith."

...

I walked in the front door and found Jack on the sofa with Teddy curled up next to him, a movie playing on the TV.

"Hey, little man, mama's home." He gently nudged him.

"Mama!" Teddy's face lit up, and he reached out his arms.

I picked him up, sitting him on my belly. "Hi, Teddy Bear. Have you been having fun with daddy today?"

He gave me a sloppy kiss on my cheek.

I touched his forehead. "He still feels warm. Does he still have a fever?"

"Yes. His temperature has been holding pretty steady around 102 all day, so I took him to see Carson. He thinks it's just a virus, and it should clear up on its own."

"Good." I lowered Teddy back onto the sofa. "It's not really too surprising that he's sick. Viruses spread like wildfire in daycares."

"At least it's nothing too bad. And he's been acting normal. He ate fine and everything."

"That's good. Well, I'm going to get changed, then I'll join you boys down here."

"We'll be here."

I returned downstairs a few minutes later, sitting beside Teddy.

"Hey, Teddy. Can you tell mama what else we did today?" Jack ran his fingers through Teddy's hair. "Who did we see?"

He let out a little whinny, then giggled.

"That's right, bud. On our way home from the doctor, we stopped by the stables to see Sergeant. Little man got to help brush him and give him some carrots."

"You got to see daddy's horse? That sounds like fun, Teddy Bear. I'm glad you've had a good day with your dad."

"Other than that, we've just been hanging around here, watching movies."

"Sounds wonderful."

Teddy leaned into my side and sighed. "Mama."

"I love you, Teddy." I kissed the top of his head.

Jack scooted over, resting his arm across my shoulders. "You had an appointment with Faith today, didn't you?"

"Mhmm." I nodded. "Baby girl is doing great. She's lying sideways, but apparently that's nothing to worry about."

"Sideways? How exactly does that work?"

"Her head is up here, instead of facing down." I touched one side of my stomach pressing gently against the hard mass of her head. She stretched at the contact, her foot creating a bulge on the other side of my belly. "Faith said she should turn head-down sometime in the next month or so."

"Everything is on track, though?"

"Yes. She growing and kicking and doing everything she's supposed to do at this point."

"Good." He leaned over and kissed me. "Oh, I may have gone a little crazy buying clothes for her today…"

"How crazy are we talking?"

He pulled out his phone and opened up his pictures. "Teddy helped me pick some of these." He scrolled through the pictures, showing me the little dresses and rompers he had bought. "I even found a place that will embroider the baby's name on a little hat, so I ordered one of those. And I finally found a bowtie and shirt for Teddy that match the Christmas dress I got for Em."

I smiled at the way his eyes lit up as he showed me the clothes. "You're adorable, Jack Thornton."

"It's funny, I never really cared about shopping for clothes until the babies. I just see these outfits and think about our daughter in them and I can't resist."

"She's not even born, and she's already got you wrapped around her little finger."

He shrugged. "She's half you. Of course I already love her more than humanly possible. Just like I love our little man." He ruffled Teddy's hair. "And you."

I kissed him, then he kissed me back, slowly, sweetly.

"I love you, Jack."


	56. Chapter 56

The lights went up in the theater, and Jack reached for my hand. I looked over at him, trying to blink away the tears in my eyes.

"That was so good."

He used his thumb to brush away the tears that rolled down my cheeks. "It was no _Sound of Music_ , though."

I chuckled. "No, but it was still really good. Thank you for getting the tickets."

"You're welcome." He squeezed my hand. "Are you ready to go back to the hotel?"

I nodded. "Can we stop and get some ice cream on the way?"

"Anything for you, Beth." He smiled and kissed my cheek.

A while later, we reclined in the bed, sharing the remainder of the pint of peach ice cream we had bought.

"Mm, this was a good call, babe."

"I agree." He got up and crossed the room to toss the empty carton in the trash can. "By the way, did I thank you yet for my anniversary gift? If not, thank you." He returned to my side and ran his finger along the edge of my nightgown and down my arm.

I smiled, blushing deeply. "Sorry you didn't get to appreciate it on our actual anniversary."

"Oh, I appreciated it then. Just not as fully as I can appreciate it now that we don't have our son lying between us." He brushed his lips across mine. "You know you don't have to get things like this for me, though. I don't care what you wear."

"I know." I nestled my head against his shoulder. "It's not all for you, though. Sometimes it's nice to wear things like this."

His fingers trailed up and down my arms, bringing up goosebumps. "Well, I'm glad you feel good in it. You look beautiful."

"Thank you, Jack." I reached up to cover my mouth as I yawned. "Sorry. I guess I'm sleepier than I thought."

"That's okay. It's late, anyway. We should sleep."

"No, this is probably our last weekend away just the two of us before baby girl gets here. We should take advantage of it."

He kissed my forehead. "Beth, you're exhausted. Just go to sleep." He slipped his arms around me, resting one hand on my belly.

I snuggled closer to him. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Now sleep." He hummed quietly, quickly lulling me to sleep.

Before I knew it, the sun was streaming through the curtains. I rolled over—not so gracefully—to find Jack's side of the bed empty. The sheets were still warm, so I knew he couldn't have gone far.

"Jack?" My voice was still thick with sleep. I cleared my throat. "Babe?"

He poked his head out of the bathroom, wiping his hands on a towel. "I'm just in here, don't worry."

"Come back to bed." I patted the comforter beside me. "It's cold without you."

"It's not cold in here."

"Well, maybe I'm exaggerating, but I still want you to come back to bed."

He flicked the bathroom light off and wandered toward me, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "So, there are a couple of breakfast places around here, if you want to check one of those out."

"Or, we could order room service. I know it's more expensive, but then we wouldn't have to leave this bed."

"That's an interesting idea…"

"Please." I pretended to pout, reaching for his hand. "I'm carrying your baby. You have to say yes to me."

"I don't think that's how it works, but okay. Where's the menu?"

I grinned. "Thank you, Jack."

...

"Good morning, lovebirds." Abigail smiled and reached for Teddy as we took a seat in the pew. "How was your little trip to Tulsa?"

"So good." The corners of my mouth turned up. "Jack surprised me with tickets to _Les_ _Mis_ on Friday night, and then, um…" I trailed off when I realized we spent most of the remaining trip in our hotel room, which was something I most definitely didn't need to share with anyone.

"We played board games," Jack added with a wink.

My cheeks warmed, and I hid my face against Jack's shoulder.

He chuckled and kissed the top of my head. "You're adorable, Beth."

"And how was your weekend, Teddy Thornton?" Abigail turned her attention to my son.

He looked up at her and grinned. "Good."

"Grandma Charlotte spoiled him." I ruffled his hair, thankful for the change in the topic of conversation. "She took him to the store and got him his first tricycle and some new books."

"A tricycle? Wow, I bet that's fun, huh?"

"Apparently, he's a big fan. She said he put up a bit of a fight when she tried to get him off of it."

"Oh, goodness. You were just having so much fun, weren't you?"

"And how's your grandbaby doing?"

She sighed. "She's sick today. So is Clara. I got a text from Jesse earlier that they're both running fevers."

"Well, that's no fun."

She shook her head. "Not at all. I'm going to go over and help them out this afternoon, give Jesse a little break."

"They're so lucky to have you, Abigail."

"We all are," Jack added with a smile.

...

"Babe, I think we need to put a dresser in here." I started pulling clothes out of the box and laying them out on the bed. "I'm pretty sure baby girl's clothes won't all fit in the nursery while Teddy's clothes are still in there."

Jack walked in with the box of Teddy's hand-me-downs. "Are you trying to tell me I've gone overboard buying her clothes?"

I laughed. "Maybe a little."

"I can't help it. I mean, look at this." He picked up one of the dresses laying on the bed. "How cute is that? All the little birds on it. Just imagine our little girl in this."

"I can't wait until she's born. She'll be a daddy's girl for sure."

He smiled. "I can't wait, either. Now, what exactly are we doing with all of this?" He motioned toward the pile of clothes.

"To start, we need to separate what needs to be hung up and what will go in the dresser." I started sorting the clothes into two piles. "And after that, we'll sort out pajamas and onesies and stuff and get those folded."

He began to make a stack of onesies. "I forgot how tiny babies are when they're first born. It feels like it's been forever since Teddy was this size." He held up a newborn-sized onesie.

"Teddy was never that small. He outgrew newborn sizes before he was born."

"And if Em is as big as he was, we're not having any more. I know how this goes." He winked at me.

"I wasn't going to say that, but yes."

"Where do hats go?"

"Put those to the side right now. Except that one you got with her name on it. That one can go in the hospital bag."

"Mama!" Teddy's voice drifted down the hallway.

"Well, that wasn't a very long nap." I put down the clothes I was folding. "I'll be back shortly. You keep sorting."

"Yes, ma'am."

Ten minutes later, I was sitting in a chair on the front porch, watching Jack push Teddy around on his tricycle. Teddy was laughing hard as Jack led him around, making sound effects.

"No offense, Beth, but this is way more fun than folding clothes, even cute little baby clothes."

"Oh, I agree." I chuckled. "Baby girl's clothes can be folded later. Time with Teddy is way more important, anyway."

...

"Little man's down for the night." Jack settled against the headboard. "What are you doing?"

I turned my laptop so he could see the screen. "Looking at ideas for a Halloween costume for Teddy. Rosemary and I were talking during Alina's party, and she already has all of their costumes ready."

"I can't believe Alina's already two. And Teddy's coming up on a year and a half."

"My parents always talked about how quickly time seems to pass once you have children, and they were one hundred percent right." I met Jack's eyes. "It's like I blinked and our baby is a little boy, running around and talking."

"He's still our baby." He leaned over and kissed me. "So, what ideas do you have for his costume?" He motioned toward the computer screen.

"Not a whole lot. There are plenty of cute ideas, but it's hard to narrow it down."

"I kind of expected that you'd want to dress him as a Mountie again."

"I thought about it, but he's definitely outgrown last year's outfit, so we'd have to get him a new one. So, I figured we might as well do something different."

"What about me? Are you going to make _me_ dress as a Mountie again this year?"

I shrugged. "You don't _have_ to, but I think you look very handsome in that uniform."

"How about we do a family costume this year?"

"Only if it's something really good. You know I'm not big on dressing up."

"Hockey players?"

"Oh no, sir. I wore your Canucks jersey one time. Never again."

"But you were so cute in it." He pretended to pout.

"Sorry. Not happening. Besides, I wouldn't fit in it this year." I touched my stomach.

He closed my laptop and set it aside before he reached over, placing his hand beside mine on my belly. "It's crazy to think that, come Halloween, we'll only be about a month and a half away from meeting Em."

I nodded in agreement. "It's getting close. Do you think we're ready to have two kids?"

"Of course." He kissed me softly. "Sure, it'll be challenging, but we can do it. You're an amazing mama to Teddy, and you'll be just as wonderful with Em."

"Thank you, Jack." I kissed him back. "For the record, you're an amazing dad."

...

The Sunday before Halloween, Jack and I were dressing Teddy in his costume for the church's fall festival.

"We should dress him as a bear every year. He looks adorable. Not that he isn't adorable without the bear costume, but you get my point."

"What do you think, Teddy Bear? Do you want to be a Teddy Bear for Halloween every year?"

Jack snapped one side of his overalls and lifted him from the bed. "He could be Winnie-the-Pooh, and Paddington, and Little Bear. Lots of options."

"Winnie-the-Pooh could be a good one for next year. We can dress baby girl as Piglet. It'd be so cute!" I tugged the little knit bear hat down further on his head. "There. He's a perfect Corduroy."

"Mama." He reached toward me, and I took him from Jack.

"Now, where's your moose hat?"

"Put that on the list of things I never expected my husband to say to me." I chuckled. "It's downstairs with your hat and bowtie."

"I wonder what the Coulters are dressing as this year. Rosemary didn't even give you a hint?"

"No. And it didn't work when I tried to use the 'I'm pregnant so you have to tell me' excuse. Apparently, that only works on you." I smirked and kissed his cheek.

...

"Well, if it isn't the cutest little family of storybook characters." Rosemary shifted Matthias in her arms as we walked up. "Hello, Thorntons."

"You guys look great."

They were all dressed as characters from _Frozen_. Alina was Elsa, Rosemary and Lee were Anna and Kristoff, and little Matthias was Olaf.

Lee motioned between them. "Three guesses who chose our family's costumes."

I chuckled. "I shouldn't be surprised. I think Alina has only spoken to me in _Frozen_ lyrics for the past six months."

"Hey, Alina." She stopped twirling and looked up at Jack when he spoke. "You make a very pretty Elsa."

"Thank you." She grinned and resumed twirling.

Lee laughed. "So we've got everyone from _Frozen_ , and you three are…let me see. The Cat in the Hat, Corduroy, and…what's the moose from?"

I held up a little toy muffin. " _If You Give a Moose a Muffin_ , obviously."

"Ah, clever."

"Abigail is here somewhere with Becky and Cody." Rosemary glanced around the room. "And she said Clara and Jesse are on their way with Ally."

"Well, what do you say we play some games and win some candy while we wait for them?"

"Play!" Teddy squealed. "Go!" He pointed across the room at a little fishing game.

"Teddy has spoken." Jack chuckled. "Let's go."

...

A/N Thanks for your continued support of this story! And I know I keep saying baby girl is coming soon, but I really mean it this time :)


	57. Chapter 57

A/N I promised you baby girl Thornton, so here she is :)

...

"Look at you." Abigail smiled when I walked through the door. "You look great."

"I don't feel it, but thank you."

"How much longer do you have before she's due?"

"Two and a half weeks, give or take." I took off my coat and helped Teddy into a chair.

"Oh, you're getting so close. That's exciting."

"Yeah." I smiled and nodded, touching my stomach. "I can't wait to meet her."

"And to have her out of you?"

I chuckled. "A little bit." I took a seat next to Teddy. "Although I know I'll miss feeling her little kicks and when she gets the hiccups."

She looked over my shoulder, her eyes unfocused as she was pulled back into a memory. "It is a special thing to be able to feel your baby inside you." She cleared her throat and returned her gaze to me. "Is, uh, is Jack coming?"

"Yes. Could you get a coffee for him, a tea for me, and some milk for Teddy?"

"Anything to eat?"

"I think I'll wait until Jack gets here. He should be here any minute."

"Okay. I'll go get those drinks for you."

Just after she disappeared through the door to the kitchen, Jack walked up.

"Hey, Beth." He kissed my cheek and slipped into the chair across from me.

"Dada!" Teddy climbed down from his chair and toddled over to Jack.

"Hey, little man." He lifted Teddy onto his lap. "I missed you today. Did you have fun at daycare?"

Teddy nodded, reaching around Jack and into his coat pockets. "Car?"

Jack rifled around the coat pocket and pulled out a little wooden car. He chuckled, handing it to Teddy. "How did that get in there, bud?"

"So, I guess we should start checking our pockets to see if Teddy left us presents." I laughed. "You're silly, Teddy Bear."

He had stopped paying attention to us, just focusing on the car he was rolling back and forth across the table in front of him.

"How was work, babe?"

"Good. Long. It was mostly full of paperwork, so nothing too exciting. What about you? How was your day?"

"A little crazy, but good. It's always that way right before a break." I brought my hand to my stomach when the baby started kicking. "It's strange to think I won't be back at work until after baby girl is born."

"It's strange to think she could come any day now."

"Any day." I shook my head. "This pregnancy has gone by so quickly. I can't believe we're so close to meeting her."

...

I turned away from the stove when I heard Jack enter the kitchen. I grinned at the sight of him with his hair sticking up, his eyes still sleepy.

"Good morning, sleepyhead."

"Morning. Is there coffee?"

"It's ready to go. You just have to turn it on."

"Thank you." He retrieved a mug from the cabinet and placed it beneath the coffee maker before turning it on.

"Jack, I feel kind of bad that your mom is coming here. She's come to town so many times the past few months. We could've gone to her place."

"She offered to come here." He slipped his arms around me, resting his hands on my stomach. "She said she didn't want you to be stuck in a car for that long so close to your due date."

"It's only two hours. It would've been fine."

"Two hours one way. Then another two hours coming back. Besides, you could go into labor at any time, and if we went to the city and you went into labor there, you could end up with a random doctor delivering Em instead of Faith."

"Well, I guess. But still, I feel bad."

"Hey." He kissed my temple. "She loves coming here. Don't worry about it."

I sighed. "Okay."

"If you really think about it, it's probably better for us to have Thanksgiving here anyway. If we went to mom's, she would feel obligated to cook, and we all know how that would turn out." He raised his eyebrows and chuckled, taking a sip from his now-full mug.

I laughed. "Good point."

"Speaking of cooking, it smells great in here."

"Thank you."

"Anything I can do to help?"

"Hm," I put a finger to my chin, pretending to think hard, "you could start by putting on an apron. It's been so long since I've seen you wear one."

He furrowed his brow. "I wore one three days ago."

"Exactly. That was so long ago."

He shook his head and smiled, reaching into the pantry to grab an apron. "You're adorable."

...

"Okay, and to end Teddy's first real Thanksgiving meal, here comes his first bite of gooey butter cake." Jack brought the fork up to Teddy's mouth.

Before he even swallowed, he was reaching for the fork again, wanting another bite. "Mm. More."

"Like father, like son." Charlotte laughed. "Jack has always had a sweet tooth."

"This gooey butter cake is half the reason I married Elizabeth." He winked at me, helping Teddy with another bite.

I shrugged. "Well, there is that cliché that says the way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

"In my case, that's true." He grinned and patted his stomach.

"Dada, more." Teddy reached out toward him again.

"You might as well just let him feed himself. He's going to need a bath tonight, anyway."

"Well, little man, have at it." Jack scraped the remainder of the piece of cake onto the high chair tray.

Within just a few minutes, Teddy was covered head to toe in crumbs, having completely devoured the entire piece of cake. "More."

"No more, Teddy."

He looked at me and stuck out his lower lip.

"I'm sorry, Teddy. It's all gone."

"Why don't I go get him in the bath?" Charlotte offered, trying to find something to take his mind off of food.

"That would be great. Thank you."

She rounded the table and lifted Teddy from the high chair. "Do you want some bubbles in your bath?"

"Yes!"

"Let's go, then!" She carried him up the stairs; he giggled all the way.

Jack started clearing the plates from the table. "I'll clean since you did most of the cooking."

"No, I can help." I felt a jolt in my belly and brought my hand to rest above the baby. "Oh."

"Elizabeth?" He set the plates back down and hurried to my side, putting his hand beside mine. "Are you okay? Is it the baby? Are you in labor?"

I chuckled. "Calm down, Jack. She just has the hiccups right now, and it surprised me. I promise I'll tell you when I'm in labor."

"As soon as it starts. Okay?"

I nodded. "As soon as it starts. I promise."

...

Just over two weeks after Thanksgiving, I woke in the middle of the night, feeling like something was off. I lay still, trying to shake the feeling. A few minutes later, a contraction rolled through me, stronger and more painful than the few that I had experienced in the previous days.

A little while later, another one hit. Then another.

"Jack." I nudged him gently.

"Hm?" His eyes stayed closed. "What time is it?"

"3:15."

"a.m.?" He groaned. "Why did you wake me up?"

"I think I'm in labor."

He sat up quickly, all thoughts of sleep clearly leaving his mind. "What can I do?"

I rubbed my stomach. "I think for now, just help me keep track of how frequent my contractions are. And we need to call Faith so she can get ready to meet us at the hospital."

"Have you had any contractions yet?"

I nodded. "One just before I woke you. I had a couple before that, too."

"Did your water break?"

"Not yet."

He brushed the hair back from my forehead, a smile playing on his lips. "We're going to meet our daughter today."

...

A couple of hours later, I paced the room, feeling restless. Jack came to my side when I leaned against the wall, another contraction taking hold.

"That one was six minutes after the last one. We should head to the hospital now."

"Mm, not yet."

"Beth, we really should go, unless you want to have this one in the bathtub, too." He put his hand on my back, helping me over to the bed. "I'm going to call Faith so she can head to the hospital, and then I'll wake your parents and let them know we're going. You just sit tight."

He grabbed his phone and returned to my side, rubbing my back as he called Faith.

"Hey, Faith, sorry to call so early, but we're about to head to the hospital." He paused as she responded. "Six minutes apart. I don't think her water has broken yet." He looked to me for confirmation; I shook my head. "She says it hasn't." Another pause. "Okay, we'll see you soon." He hung up and kissed my forehead. "She'll meet us there. I'll go update your parents."

Within forty-five minutes, we were checking into the hospital, one step closer to meeting our baby girl.

Faith arrived just a few minutes after I got settled in my room.

"Good morning. Happy baby day."

I smiled weakly, already exhausted from the contractions and my shortened night of sleep. "Please tell me this isn't going to take long."

"Let me just get washed up, and I'll take a look."

Jack held my hand while Faith checked my progress, his thumb moving in slow circles on my palm.

"Good news."

"I'm ready to push?"

"Not quite, but you're close. You're at eight centimeters, and your water just broke. She should be ready to come out soon." She took off her gloves. "Until then, just try to relax, which I know is better said than done." She chuckled. "I'll find the doctor who's on shift and send him by to meet you."

"Wait, I thought you were delivering the baby." A look of worry crossed Jack's face.

"I am. We like you guys to meet the doctor just in case—God forbid—an emergency happens and the baby ends up needing to be delivered by C-section." She put her hand on his arm. "Don't worry, Jack. Everything looks really good so far, and I don't foresee any emergencies arising. It's just a precaution. I promise."

"Oh." He let out a breath. "Okay."

He grasped my hand tightly once she left the room.

"Hey, it's okay, babe."

"I know, I just… I didn't think about the possibility of emergencies."

"I'll be fine. Baby girl will be fine." I squeezed his hand and gave him a smile. "We're in good hands, no matter what happens. I delivered Teddy in a bathtub during a tornado, so it's highly unlikely that anything that happens today will be scarier than that."

"You make a good point." He kissed the top of my head. "I love you, Beth."

...

An hour later, Jack sat behind me on the bed, rubbing my back as I worked through another contraction.

"I can't take this anymore. I need to push." I dropped back against his chest, breathing heavily. "Faith, please tell me I can push now."

"Lie back, and I'll check."

Jack rubbed my arm while Faith checked how far along I was. "We're getting so close, Beth."

"Not just close," Faith stood up, "Ten centimeters. You're ready to push."

"Oh, thank goodness."

It was less than half an hour before Faith announced that it would only take one more push before the baby would be fully born. Jack moved to the end of the bed, ready to see our daughter the moment she entered the world.

"And she's here." Faith held up the screaming baby.

She let Jack cut the cord before placing the baby on my chest and covering her with a towel.

"Hi, sweet girl. I love you so much." I struggled to see her through the tears in my eyes. "You have no idea how happy your daddy and I are that you're here."

Jack leaned down and kissed me as the baby's screams softened into whimpers. "You did great, Beth. I love you."

"I love you, too." I touched the baby's cheek. "Look at her, Jack. She's beautiful."

"She's perfect." He rubbed her back. "Hi, Em. I'm your daddy."

I looked up at him. "You can say her name now."

"I think it's just a habit to call her Em now." He chuckled. "It fits her. Baby Em."

...

A couple of hours later, I woke to find Jack sitting in the chair by the window, our daughter nestled in his arms. She looked so tiny against his chest, so delicate. He was singing softly to her, a smile playing on his lips.

"'I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel so bad.'"

" _The Sound of Music_." I gave him a sleepy smile. "Glad you're starting her young."

"Hey," he whispered, meeting my eyes. "I didn't know you were awake."

"I just woke up." I held out my arms. "I should probably try nursing her again."

When he lowered her into my arms, she squirmed against my chest and started to whimper. It took a few tries, but soon, she was nursing happily, her tiny fingers flexing on my chest.

Jack grinned from ear to ear as he watched our daughter. He brushed his fingers across the top of her head, through her little wisps of dark hair. "I just can't believe she's finally here."

I nodded. "It feels like we waited so long for her."

"Our little peach. Thank you for her." He kissed me gently.

"You're welcome."

"So perfect. Emilia Elizabeth Thornton."


	58. Chapter 58

"You ready?" Jack turned in his seat.

I double checked that the carseat was secured and that Emilia was properly strapped in. "Ready." The little baby yawned, and I tucked the blanket around her. "I still can't believe how tiny she is."

"Me neither."

At just under seven and a half pounds, she was over two full pounds lighter than Teddy was at birth. I had been pleasantly surprised when I dressed her in a newborn sized sleeper that morning and it fit her comfortably.

I saw Jack smile in the rearview mirror. "So, since she wasn't big like Teddy, does that mean she won't be our last?"

"Well, she's only a day old, so let's just see how things go with the two we have for a little while before we think about having more."

"I guess you have a point there." He laughed softly.

"Gosh, I just love her so much." I touched her cheek. "She's like a little doll."

"We do make some cute babies." He smiled again as he turned out of the parking lot. "Oh, by the way, your parents said they were taking Teddy to lunch and then to the park for a bit, so they won't be there when we get home."

"I hope you reminded them to put his coat and hat on. It's freezing outside."

"Beth, they successfully raised three children, one of whom is you. I think they know how to keep a kid warm."

"Yeah." I sighed. "But he's _our_ kid. I'm protective of him."

"I know you are. He'll be fine. Your parents just wanted to give us a little time to settle in with Em before things get crazy. I'm sure they won't be gone too long."

"Okay." I kept my eyes on Emilia as she slowly fell asleep. "How do you think Teddy will react when he meets Emilia?"

"I don't know. He's been around other babies before, so I'm sure he'll be fine."

"I guess we'll find out soon." I was quiet for a few minutes, just staring at Emilia's perfect face as she slept. "But what if he doesn't like her?"

"Then he'll have to adjust. Everything will be okay, Beth."

"I love you, Jack."

...

"Welcome home, Emilia." I removed her from the carseat, lifting her to my shoulder. "This is where we live, you and me and your daddy and your big brother and our dogs. Obviously, you've already met me and your daddy. You'll meet your big brother in a little while. His name is Jack, just like your daddy, but we call him Teddy. He's with your Nana and Papa Thatcher right now, so you'll get to meet them, too."

"Beth?" Jack put his hand on my back. "Do you want something to eat?"

"A sandwich and a glass of water, please and thank you."

"Coming right up."

"I'm going to take her upstairs, see if she wants to eat."

"I'll help you."

"Jack, I'm fine."

"I know you are." He put his arm around my waist. "But I want to help."

"Okay." I knew it was no use to argue with him, and I had to admit that I was still feeling sore, so having him there to physically support me was helpful.

He kissed my forehead once I was settled on the bed with Emilia nestled in my arms. "A sandwich and a glass of water?"

"Yes," I confirmed. "And a cup of tea, too. The kind in the jar by the toaster. Please and thank you."

"On it."

I smiled as I watched him leave the room. "I don't know if you've realized this yet, sweet girl, but you have the very best daddy in the entire world. I couldn't have dreamed up a better dad for you and your brother."

She looked up at me, blinking her big blue eyes.

"Are you hungry, Emmy? Let's get you fed."

When Jack returned a few minutes later, Emilia was happily filling her belly, her tiny fingers grazing the edge of my shirt.

Jack grinned as he set the plate of food beside me. "I'll never get tired of seeing you with our babies."

"I feel the same way when I see you with them."

"Goodness," he just barely touched the top of her head, "she's just perfect, isn't she?"

I looked up at him. "She gets it from her dad."

"No, she's all you. I mean, come on. That nose, that chin, those eyes. She's a mini Elizabeth." A smile played on his lips and he shook his head, just slightly. "I can't believe we have a _daughter_ now."

"One of each." I turned to meet his eyes, leaning in to brush my lips against his. "I love you."

"Not as much as I love you."

"Impossible."

We both fell silent as we watched our daughter. She eventually drifted off, and Jack took her from me so I could eat the lunch he had made for me.

He walked around the room slowly, Emilia cradled against his chest.

"Beth, look." He pushed the curtains open. "It's snowing."

I left the bed and joined him at the window. Huge flakes were falling from the gray sky, just barely beginning to cover the grass. "It's beautiful."

He shifted the baby into the crook of his elbow, then slipped his free arm behind my back. "Not as beautiful as my girls." He kissed my temple.

"You sweet talker." I leaned against his shoulder and sighed. "I just wish Teddy was with us."

"I called your parents to let them know we're home, so they should be back at any time."

"Good. It's been nice having this time with just you and Emilia, but I'm ready to have our son back."

"Me too."

...

Half an hour later, Jack and I were both dozing on the bed, Emilia fast asleep in my arms, when we heard the front door open. Bronte let out a low bark to alert us.

"Babe." I nudged Jack. "My parents are back with Teddy."

He stretched and stood up, running his fingers through his hair. "Time to introduce our kids to each other."

A few moments passed before my mom peeked around the bedroom door, knocking quietly on the frame. "Are you up for some visitors?"

I nodded, and she came into the room, followed closely by my dad, who was carrying Teddy.

"This little one just couldn't handle all the excitement." He laughed softly, rubbing Teddy's back as he slept against his shoulder.

"This will probably be the last time they're both asleep at the same time," Jack joked, taking a seat on the edge of the bed beside me.

He held out his arms, and I passed our daughter to him.

"So, does this granddaughter of ours have a name yet?" my mother questioned. Though we had let our family and friends know when she was born and that she was healthy, we had yet to tell anyone her name.

Jack smiled as he looked down at our little girl. "Her name is Emilia Elizabeth Thornton."

"What a beautiful name for a beautiful baby." My mom placed a hand on my shoulder, gazing over at Emilia. "Congratulations, you two."

"Thank you." I held out my hands. "Can I have Teddy?"

My dad lowered him onto my lap, and I held him against my chest. He stirred, blinking sleepily. He grinned when he realized who was holding him.

"Mama." He sat up and put his hands on my face. "Mama, love you."

"Oh, I love you, too, sweet boy." I hugged him and kissed the top of his head. "I missed you today and yesterday." I brushed my fingers through his hair. "Did you have fun with nana and papa?"

He nodded and glanced around the room, looking for his grandparents. He stilled when he noticed something—or rather _someone_ —in Jack's arms. He looked back at me, confusion on his face. "Mama?"

"Remember how daddy and I told you that I had a baby in my belly? And we showed you pictures of her and you felt her moving around? Well, that," I pointed to the baby Jack held, "is your little sister, Emilia. She isn't in my belly anymore."

Jack turned so Teddy could get a better look at his sister. "You're a big brother, Teddy. What do you think about that?"

He leaned into me, clinging tightly to my shirt. A frown covered his face. "No."

"Someone doesn't seem very happy to have to share his mama." My mom chuckled. "Viola was the same way when you were born."

I kissed the top of his head and rubbed his back. "Don't worry, sweet boy. You're still my Teddy Bear. Your daddy and I love you very much."

"Hey, bud." Jack reached out and touched his cheek. "Do you want to hold your sister?"

He shook his head. "No, dada."

"Do you want to say hi to her?"

He furrowed his brow. "No."

"Here." My mother held out her arms to take the baby from Jack. "We'll take Emilia for a bit to give Teddy some time alone with you."

Jack passed the baby to her. "Thank you."

She and my dad took Emilia across the hall to the nursery, and Jack moved back to his side of the bed, leaning back against the headboard.

"Hey, little man." Jack leaned down to kiss the top of Teddy's head. "It's okay to be upset. It just been you and me and your mama for a year and a half, and now there's another little baby here taking our attention. That's a big change for you. It's a big change for us, too. We have to figure out how to have _two_ babies living in our house." We both knew Teddy probably wasn't understanding much of what Jack was saying, but he kept talking. "I hope you know your mama and I love you so very much, no matter how many sisters and brothers you might have."

"And you know what, Teddy Bear? You're our very first baby and our very first little boy, so that makes you special."

"Mama." He snuggled into me.

"Yeah, I'm right here, Teddy Bear."

"How about I go get a few books and we read to him for a bit?"

"Good idea." I kissed him softly. "You're the best father, Jack Thornton."

...

My mother set a mug of tea in front of me and took a seat on the sofa.

"Thank you."

"She really is a lovely baby." She motioned toward Emilia, who was—once again—sleeping against my chest.

"She is." I smiled. "Mom, earlier you said Viola wasn't a fan of me when I was first born?"

She nodded in confirmation. "She wanted nothing to do with you until you were, I don't know, four or five months old."

"How did you and dad deal with that?"

"Well, the biggest thing we did was make sure to set aside some time just for her. Most of the time, our attention had to be split between the two of you, so we wanted her to have moments where she had all our focus. And you and Jack are already doing that with Teddy. It doesn't have to be anything big. Just taking the time to read to him alone, or go play with him outside," she nodded toward the back door. Jack and my father had taken Teddy out a few minutes before to play in the snow.

"I just want Teddy to like her."

She put her hand on my arm. "Don't worry about that right now. You and Jack just need to focus on loving your beautiful babies. It may take Teddy a while to adjust to having his sister around, but he'll get there. I promise. The small age gap can be tough when they're little, because they're still both very dependent on you, but sometimes it makes for a closer relationship once they're older. Just look at how close you and Vi are now."

"That's true." I reached over and squeezed her hand. "Thank you for being here, mom."

"I wouldn't miss it. You just gave me my first granddaughter."

...

I zipped up the sleeper and lifted Emilia from the changing table. "Okay, Emmy," I kept my voice low, since Teddy was sleeping across the room in his crib. "You're clean and dry, so now we can sleep. Right?"

I headed back across the hall, lowering her into her bassinet before slipping under the quilt beside Jack.

He pulled me to his chest, not even bothering to open his eyes. "Everything good now?"

I nodded, sliding my arms around his waist. "She's freshly diapered and sleeping again."

"Good." He kissed my forehead.

"Tomorrow, we need to move some of her diapers and a changing mat in here. I didn't think about the risk of waking Teddy whenever Emilia needs a diaper change at night."

"Oh, good idea. I didn't think about that, either."

"Can you believe we're officially a family of _four_ , Jack?"

"It's crazy."

"I didn't know it was possible to be so happy." I brushed my nose against his neck. "Or so tired."

He chuckled. "Me neither."

"I love you, babe."

"I love you, Beth."


	59. Chapter 59

Not even an hour after my parents left, there was a knock at the door. Jack was busy changing the baby's diaper, so I walked across the house to answer it. I opened the door to find Rosemary standing there. "Okay, I know you _just_ got your house back to yourself, but I can't wait any longer. I need to meet your baby girl."

I smiled and rolled my eyes. "I'm honestly surprised you didn't come sooner. Come on in. Jack should be just about finished changing her."

"Can I know her name now?" She had been bugging me about the name every day since Emilia was born, but we had still kept it just between us, our parents, and our siblings.

"Her name is Emilia Elizabeth Thornton." Jack grinned as he walked down the stairs, Emilia cradled against his chest. "Hi, Rosie."

"Oh, that's a lovely name!" She held her arms out. "May I?"

"Okay, Em. Time to meet your Aunt Rosie." Jack carefully passed the baby to her.

"Hello, Emilia. It's nice to finally meet you. You know, I have a little boy who's just a few months older than you. Maybe someday, the two of you can get together."

"And so it begins." Jack chuckled and slipped his arm around me. "You know, Rosie, no one is ever going to be good enough for my girl. Not even Matthias."

"Hey, I thought you and Lee were going to visit his parents for the holidays."

She lifted the baby to her shoulder. "We are. Lee ended up having to work from home today, though, so we can't leave until he's finished."

She stayed for a few more minutes, promising before she left that she would bring Lee and the kids over after the holidays to meet Emilia.

"Well," Jack started after he closed the door behind her, "we're finally alone, just the four of us."

"For a whole day until your mom comes." I laughed. "Don't get me wrong, though. It's so nice to have some extra hands around these first few weeks."

"It is." He kissed me softly. "So, what should we do today?"

...

I watched Teddy run after Jack as he walked over to answer the door.

"Hi, mom." Jack invited Charlotte into the house and wrapped her in a hug.

"Hi, son." She crouched down in front of Teddy. "And hello to you, young man. I think you've gotten even bigger since I saw you at Thanksgiving."

He giggled when she tickled him. "Hi, gamma."

She scooped him up and turned back toward Jack. "I have Christmas presents in my car that need to be brought in. Could you be a dear?"

"Of course, ma." He kissed her cheek. "Elizabeth and the baby are just in the living room."

I glanced up at Charlotte when she came in the room. "Hi, Charlotte."

"Hello, Lizzy."

I peeked under the blanket to check on Emilia. "I'd let you see her, but she just started eating, and she's a pretty distracted eater."

"Oh, that's fine." She smiled. "I can wait." She took a seat and lowered Teddy to the floor in front of her. He immediately wandered over to the coffee table and started playing with the little toy car he had abandoned earlier. "How have you been?"

"Good. Tired. I knew it would be a big change to go from one baby to two, but gosh, I really wasn't prepared."

She chuckled. "I don't think anyone ever is. Just don't be afraid to ask for help."

"Oh, I've gotten so much help already without asking."

"Jack said your parents just left?"

I nodded. "Yesterday morning. My older sister and her family are coming in from London for Christmas, so they needed to get home."

"It's a shame they couldn't stay longer."

I shrugged. "They had already planned to come just before my due date and stay just a few days after she was born. Plus, they knew you'd be eager to meet her, too, and they didn't want it to be too overwhelming here."

"Ah."

Jack came back in the house then, arms full of colorfully wrapped gifts.

"Those can go under the tree, son."

"Got it." He carefully placed the boxes and bags under the tree, trying to find places for everything. "Well," he stood up and rubbed his hands together, "it's safe to say our children are very spoiled."

"I couldn't help it. Your brother isn't going to give me grandkids anytime soon, so I have to spoil the ones you give me. Plus, little Emilia there is a special one."

"Special how?" he questioned, sitting on the floor beside Teddy.

"She's the first girl to be born into the Thornton family in five generations."

"Really?" He took the toy car that Teddy handed to him.

"Yeah. You know your dad was an only child, and his dad had only brothers, and _his_ dad had only brothers, all the cousins were boys, and you get the picture."

"Wow."

"You hear that, Emmy?" I peeked under the blanket again. "You're the first baby girl in your daddy's family in a long time." She peered up at me through her long lashes, her blue eyes wide. "Are you ready to meet grandma now?" I lifted her to my shoulder to burp her before passing her to Charlotte.

"Well, look at you, pretty girl. I'm your grandma Charlotte." She grinned, brushing her finger across Emilia's cheek. "You're just the cutest little thing, aren't you?"

"I think she looks like Elizabeth." Jack smiled as he gazed over at our daughter.

"She has Jack's dimples, though."

"How old is she now?"

"Ten days."

"Ten days already? What a big girl!"

Teddy came over and started to climb onto the sofa. "Mama."

I helped him up, settling him in my lap. "Hi, Teddy Bear." I kissed the top of his head.

"No baby." He furrowed his brow and crossed his arms over his chest.

I had to bite my cheek to keep from laughing; his little angry face was so cute. "Sorry, bud. Your sister's staying."

"Someone's having trouble adjusting?" Charlotte glanced over at Teddy.

Jack nodded. "He's fine with her being here except when she's the center of attention."

Charlotte chuckled. "Sounds familiar."

...

I pulled Emilia's arms through the sleeves of her plaid dress. "You are so cute, Emmy. Did you know your daddy picked this dress for you? Right after we found out we were having a little girl. He's been so excited about you ever since we first found out you were in my belly." She stared up at me as I situated the red bow in her hair. "Okay, I think you're ready to go, baby girl. Let's go see if your daddy has your brother ready." I lifted her to my shoulder and kissed the top of her head.

I traipsed across the hall to the nursery. Teddy was sitting up on the changing table while Jack attached his suspenders to his little khaki pants.

"Mama." Teddy pointed toward me and tried to stand.

"Hi, Teddy Bear. You look so handsome. And look, your bow tie matches Emmy's dress."

He glanced down and tugged on the tie.

"Hey, leave it on, bud." Jack lifted Teddy from the changing table. "Ready to go?"

I nodded. "I just want to get a quick picture of the kids by the tree. Who knows if they'll still be this clean by the time church is over."

He chuckled. "Good point."

Charlotte smiled when we all came down the stairs. "Well, look at those lovely little grandbabies of mine."

We got Teddy situated in front of the tree and helped him hold Emilia. Somehow, we managed to get a picture where Teddy actually looked happy to be so close to his sister—and we managed to get him to look at the camera.

"Let's get one of all four of you." Charlotte reached for my phone.

"Okay, but it has to be quick. We're running late already."

Jack stood next to me, Emilia in his arms and Teddy in mine.

"Well, I might be biased, but you are the cutest little family I've ever seen." Charlotte snapped a few pictures, then passed my phone back to me. "Let's go."

...

I rolled over to find Jack lying awake, his eyes on me. His eyelashes seemed to glow in the early morning light, the corners of his lips just barely turning up into a smile.

"Gosh, you're handsome." I touched his cheek. "Good morning, babe."

"Good morning, beautiful." He kissed me softly. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." I pulled myself over to his chest, tucking my head beneath his chin. "Mm, it's a shame that Emilia's going to be up any minute to eat. I'm so comfortable right now."

"Just make her wait. She can learn to be patient."

I chuckled. "I don't think it works that way, unless you want to deal with a fussy baby for the rest of the day."

"No, thank you."

"Mama!" Teddy called out from the nursery, his little voice clear over the baby monitor.

I groaned. "I didn't expect him to be up before Emilia."

"I'll get him. You stay warm and cozy for a bit longer." He kissed my nose and slipped out of the bed.

I pulled the covers up to my chin after he left, trying to compensate for the loss of his body heat.

Jack returned a few minutes later, Teddy sitting on his shoulders. "Someone had a stinky diaper."

"Teddy Thornton, was it you? Did you have a stinky diaper?"

"No." He giggled as Jack lowered him onto the bed. "Mama." He crawled over to me, planting a slobbery kiss on my cheek.

I wrapped him in my arms, kissing the top of his head. "I love you, Teddy Bear. Merry Christmas."

"How about Teddy and I go get the cinnamon rolls in the oven? You can meet us downstairs after you feed Em."

"Okay. No opening presents until Charlotte and I are down there, though."

"Yes, ma'am." He smiled and took Teddy from me. "Let's go, little man."

...

I sat on the sofa, holding Emilia on my lap. She was staring wide-eyed at her dad while he helped Teddy open the last of his presents.

He squealed with joy when he ripped the paper off a box, revealing a wooden police car. "Dada!"

"That looks a little like my work car, huh?" Jack didn't bring his cruiser home often, but when he did, Teddy was always thrilled.

He tried to lift the lid off the box, struggling for a bit before Jack helped him. He held up his new toy, excitedly showing all of us.

"I see, Teddy Bear. That's so cool."

As he sat in Jack's lap, I was suddenly transported to the previous Christmas. I had watched the two of them interact, just waiting for the moment to reveal to Jack that our family was going to grow.

With tears in my eyes, I passed Emilia to Charlotte and excused myself to go upstairs.

As I curled up in the center of the bed, I could hear the muffled sounds of Jack and Charlotte speaking quietly, followed by the sound of footsteps on the stairs.

I felt the bed shift as Jack sat beside me.

"Elizabeth? What's going on?"

"It's been a year." I brushed a tear from my cheek.

"What?"

I rolled over to face him. "It's been a year since I told you I was pregnant with a baby we never got to meet."

"Oh, Beth." He leaned back against the headboard and pulled me onto his chest.

"And it just hit me. If we hadn't lost him, we wouldn't have Emilia."

"Elizabeth, honey, you're allowed to miss the baby. That doesn't mean you love Em any less."

"I do love her, so, so much. I just can't help but think about what would've been if we hadn't lost Owen. He would've been four months old, just about the same age as Matthias." I fidgeted with his shirt. "I think he would've looked like you."

"I think about him, too." He rubbed my arms gently. "Do you want me to get the box?"

"No." I wiped the rest of the tears from my eyes. "I just needed a minute. I wasn't prepared for that memory to hit me so strongly."

"My mom has everything under control with the kids, so just take whatever time you need."

"Just hold me for a little bit."

"Always." He wrapped his arms around me, brushing his lips against my temple.

We stayed like that for a few minutes, until we heard Emilia start fussing downstairs.

I sighed. "We should go back down there."

"Okay." He kissed me softly before leading me down the stairs.

"Sorry about that," I apologized to Charlotte, taking Emilia back from her.

She looked at me with eyes full of sympathy. "Don't apologize, Lizzy. It's been twenty-six years for me, and I still think about the baby I lost."

I reached for her hand. "I'm so glad you could be here with us today."

...

As the day wound down, Jack lit a fire in the fireplace, and we all snuggled in together. Teddy had fallen asleep in Charlotte's lap, his face sticky with drips of the hot chocolate he had tried—and loved—for the first time earlier in the evening.

Jack had one arm around my shoulders; Emilia was cradled in his other arm, wrapped in her new quilt from Charlotte and nearing sleep herself.

I breathed deeply and smiled.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Just how perfect this moment is. I have you. We have two healthy and beautiful children. They have wonderful grandparents and aunts and uncles."

"I love you, Elizabeth Thornton."

I leaned over and kissed him. "I love you more."

...

A/N Just a heads up: The next chapter of this story (chapter 60) will be the last. Thanks to all of you who have stuck with it all this time!


	60. Chapter 60

**Five and a Half Years Later**

"Elizabeth, I need you to stop."

I let out a breath and dropped my head back against Jack's chest. "What's going on?"

"I don't want you to panic. The head is out, but the cord is around the baby's neck. I just need to slip it off."

My eyes went wide, and I squeezed Jack's hand. "What? Is the baby okay?"

"Everything is fine. This actually happens more than you think." She was quiet for a moment as she concentrated on removing the cord from the baby's neck. "Okay, all done. You can push again whenever you feel the urge. It should only take one or two more."

"Come on, Beth. Just one more. You can do it."

I leaned my head back, tears rolling down my face. "I can't. I can't do it, Jack."

"Yes, you can. I know you can. You've done this before." He kissed my temple. "You're almost done. One more, and this little one will be out here with us."

I squeezed his hand as hard as I could. If I was causing him any pain, he didn't show it.

Then I heard a cry, and it was like time stopped. I broke down, my body completely exhausted.

Jack leaned down, pressing his lips to my cheek. "It's a girl." His voice cracked with emotion. "Another girl, Beth. She's finally here. I knew you could do it. I love you so much."

"I'm just going to do a quick check on her, and you can have her right back."

"Okay." Jack wiped the tears from my cheeks, but more kept falling in their place. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yes. I'm just tired and overwhelmed and everything hurts."

"You're amazing." He rested his forehead against mine, his hand touching the back of my neck. We stayed like that for a few moments, eyes closed, just breathing together.

"Thank you, Jack." I brought my lips to his.

Faith came back over, gently lowering the now clean and diapered baby into my arms.

"She looks really good."

"She wasn't hurt by having the cord around her neck?"

"No. It wasn't tight, and there wasn't a knot in it. She's perfectly fine."

"Thank you, Faith." Jack took a seat beside the bed, leaning forward to look at our daughter as I settled her against my skin. "You did a good job, Beth."

"I couldn't have done it without you. Granted, I also wouldn't have had to do it if you weren't in the picture, but we can overlook that." I gave him a grin and a wink.

"Thank you for giving me another beautiful baby." He touched the top of her head. "It looks like we finally have a little redhead."

"Mhmm." I smiled when she yawned, her little face scrunching up. "Hey, Faith?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think we'll be able to take her home today?"

"If she's stable for the next few hours, I don't see why not."

"Good." I brushed my finger across the soft skin of the baby's cheek. "Jack, we should tell our families that she's here."

He kissed me softly. "On it."

...

A few hours later, Faith cleared me and the baby, and we headed home. I had just gotten settled in the bed when Charlotte peeked into the room.

"Hello, there. I have some children here who are very eager to meet the new baby."

"Go ahead and bring them in." Jack lowered the baby into the bassinet and stepped over to the door to greet our kids.

Teddy came in first. Now seven years old, he was still Jack's little clone. They had the same light brown hair and hazel eyes, and Teddy had inherited his father's dimples and sense of humor.

Emilia came in the room next and crawled into the bed beside me. Just as Teddy was like a clone of Jack, Emilia was like a clone of me, with curly hair, blue eyes, and a curious spirit.

Felicity skipped into the room next, followed closely by Nora. Early on, we had learned just how different our little twins were, both in looks and personality. Felicity Jane had her father's hazel eyes and my dark hair, while Nora Grace was our little blue-eyed blonde. From birth, Felicity had been vocal and outgoing, whereas Nora had always been quiet and introspective. Four years later, they were still polar opposites and still inseparable.

Jack stood by the bassinet and addressed our kids. "Well, you guys have a little sister."

" _Another_ sister?" Teddy groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Jack Edward."

"Hey, bud, it's not that bad. Just think about it this way: you'll always be their favorite brother."

"That's just because I'm their _only_ brother."

Jack chuckled and looked at me. "I tried." He stood up straight. "Okay, now we'll have to take turns holding her. Who wants to go first?"

Unsurprisingly, Felicity's hand shot up. "Please, daddy?"

"Okay, you need to sit down."

Charlotte helped Felicity get situated in the glider, and Jack carefully lowered the baby into her arms.

"Her name is Jude Charlotte Thornton."

"Hi, Jude." Felicity kissed her forehead. "I'm Felicity. You can call me Lissy. You're really cute."

Bronte crossed the room and curled up beside the glider. She was always protective of our babies, ever since Teddy was born, and it seemed as though things wouldn't be any different with Jude. And true to his nature, Rip was lying downstairs, uncaring about anything going on in the house.

Emilia shifted on the bed, snuggling into me. Tears filled my eyes as I looked around the room at all of my kids. I never expected to have another baby after the twins.

When they were babies, we had decided that our four children were plenty, and we stopped trying.

But then, a few years later, on the eighth anniversary of the day Jack and I met, we were surprised to find out that I was two months pregnant again.

Charlotte sat at the foot of the bed. "Jude Charlotte, you said?"

Jack smiled. "I chose Jude as the first name, but it was Elizabeth's idea to use either Charlotte or Thomas for the middle name depending on whether we had a girl or a boy."

She reached over and squeezed my hand. "Thank you."

...

"They're finally all asleep." Jack sank into the bed beside me and kissed my temple. "Happy anniversary, Beth."

"Happy anniversary." I smiled. "Eight years and five children later, and I still feel the same way I did the day we got married."

"So do I. Well, maybe I'm a little more tired than I was when we first got married." He grinned as he looked down at the baby snuggled in my arms. "It's a shame she couldn't wait a few more days. She could've been born on our anniversary."

"Yeah, except I don't think I would've enjoyed spending our anniversary in labor." She started squirming against me. "Hang on, Jude." I resituated her in my arms so she could eat.

My heart swelled as I watched my youngest daughter, her clear blue eyes trying to focus on my face as she ate. It had been almost a week since her birth, but it was still surreal that I had five children now.

"What are you thinking about?" Jack reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

"How blessed we are to have our five healthy, beautiful kids. How different and amazing they all are. How I thought you were crazy that time you told me you wanted five or six children." I smirked.

"I did say that, huh? Well, now that we actually have five children, do you still think I was crazy for suggesting we have so many?"

"Oh, definitely." I chuckled. "But I wouldn't change a thing."

"Well, that's good, because there's no going back now." He put his arm around my shoulder.

"I was also thinking that we really should look into a different form of birth control, because we are _not_ having any more."

He laughed. "Aren't the twins the only ones we actually tried for?"

"Well, we were just trying for one more, but yes. We have a house full of accidents."

"Very loved accidents."

"Very, very loved." I touched Jude's hand, and her little fingers wrapped around mine. "Gosh, I didn't know it was possible to love anyone as much as I love our babies." I looked over at Jack, leaning in a bit to kiss his cheek. "Or as much as I love you."

...

The next evening, I was on my way to tuck the girls in when I heard Teddy in his room talking to Jack. I stopped just outside the room, listening through the crack in the door.

"Dad, can you stop kissing mom?"

Jack chuckled. "I don't think so, bud. Why do you want me to?"

"Alina told me that kissing is what makes babies, and we have enough babies in our house. I mean, they're cute and all, but they're so loud. Plus, I don't need any more sisters."

"Well, bud, I hate to break it to you, but kissing isn't what makes babies. If it was, you'd have a lot more than just four sisters. And I know they're noisy when they're little, but they get better, remember? The girls don't cry like they did when they were babies."

"Lissy talks a lot, though."

"If it makes you feel better, your mom and I aren't planning on having any more babies. But I won't stop kissing her."

"Kissing is so gross."

"Someday, you might change your mind about that, bud."

"Ew, I don't think so."

Jack chuckled again. "Okay, Teddy. Lights out. I love you."

"Love you, too, dad."

I heard the click of the lamp, and then Jack quietly stepped around the door.

"Did you hear that?"

I nodded and laughed softly, then leaned in to kiss him.

"Mm, not gross at all."

...

I sat quietly as I fed Jude, her little sock-clad feet poking out from beneath the blanket. I glanced around the room at the family and friends who had gathered for her baptism that morning: my parents, Charlotte, Abigail, Julie and Steven with their son, Rosemary and Lee with their three children, Clara and Jesse with their two children, and Faith and Carson with their son.

Viola, Lionel, and their two sons had been unable to make the trip from London, and Becky and Cody were both busy at school.

Despite their absence, the room felt full. Abigail had joked at one time that we would outgrow the café. Though that hadn't happened yet, we did have to spend our lunches at two separate tables now—one for the children and one for the adults.

"You look like you're deep in thought." Jack nudged me softly.

I looked over at him and smiled. "I'm just thinking about how much has changed. These Sunday lunches used to be me, Rosemary, and Abigail and her kids. Then Rosemary met Lee, I met you, we met Faith and Carson, we all had babies."

"Lots of babies. Especially for you two." Abigail looked between me and Jack and laughed.

I blushed and turned my attention back to Jude, lifting her to my shoulder to burp her.

"Mama." Emilia ran over and tugged on my shirt.

"Yes, Emmy?"

"Can I go to Ally's house after lunch? Please."

"Did her parents say it's okay?"

"Yes, mama."

I glanced over at Clara, who was bouncing a giggly little Noah on her knee. She smiled at me and nodded. "Okay, but you behave, Emmy, and you can't stay too long. Nana and papa and Julie and Steven and Lucas are going home tomorrow, so you don't want to miss spending time with them."

"Yes, ma'am."

I watched her happily hurry away to tell her friend the good news. When I turned back, I noticed Jack's eyes on me. I carefully passed the baby to him, and she gurgled contentedly. "For the record, Jack, I was happy when it was just a few of us; I'm happier now."

...

Another few days passed, and we started settling into more of a routine. Jack returned to work, leaving me alone with Jude during the day while the older children were at school. Our afternoons grew busy, between homework and dinner and sports.

I got a bit of a break one afternoon when Jack took Teddy to baseball practice and Emilia went next door to play with Alina, leaving me with the twins and the baby. I put Jude down for her nap and settled in on the sofa to read.

"What are you reading, mama?" Felicity climbed onto the sofa beside me.

"It's called _Jane Eyre_."

"That's my middle name!"

"You're right, Felicity Jane." I smiled and kissed the top of her head. "This book is where daddy and I got your middle name from."

"Where's mine from?" Nora spoke quietly as she climbed up on my other side.

"Yours, Nora Grace, is after my mom, your nana. Her name is Grace."

She smiled and snuggled up against me.

"That book is old, mama." Felicity touched the cover that was torn and peeling.

"It was written a long time ago, but this copy isn't _that_ old. It's very special to me, though, and I've read it a lot of times. When I first met your daddy, I told him this was my favorite book, so he got me this for my birthday."

I smiled at the memory, flipping through the pages.

"Who wrote in it, mama? You don't like when we color in our books."

I chuckled. "That's true, but this is a little different, Lissy Bug. Your daddy wrote the notes in here for me to see when I read it."

"Read some, mama?"

"Yes, please!"

"'I have for the first time found what I can truly love—I have found _you_. You are my sympathy—my better self—my good angel. I am bound to you with a strong attachment. I think you good, gifted, lovely.'"

Nora looked up at me, blue eyes sparkling. "What does that mean, mama?"

"He's telling her how much he loves her."

"Is that how you tell daddy you love him?"

I chuckled. "Not exactly, Lissy Bug. But I do love your daddy a whole lot."

...

"Baby's down?"

I nodded and moved down in the bed, resting my head on Jack's chest. "Full and dry and warm and happy."

"Good." He pulled the quilt up to cover us. His lips brushed across the top of my head, warming me down to my toes.

"Hey, I was reading _Jane Eyre_ today—the copy you gave me back when we were dating. I forgot how many notes you took in it."

He chuckled. "I was trying to impress you."

"You didn't need to do that. I was already yours, babe." I touched his cheek and leaned in to kiss him.

"Well, I know that now."

"The girls asked me to read some of it to them, and I opened it right to chapter twenty-seven and that quote, the one you said was your favorite."

"'You are my sympathy—my better self—my good angel,'" he quoted. "I still feel that way about you, by the way."

I kissed him again, deeply, tenderly. "Gosh, I love you, Jack Thornton."

"Not as much as I love you, Elizabeth Thornton."

...

A/N And that's the end! Thank you to everyone for reading along with this story and leaving me such kind comments! I appreciate you all so much. I do have two stories still going on, and I may have a story or two in the works, so keep an eye out for those!


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